Opinion ID: 4530412
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: State v. Gallardo

Text: ¶15 Martinez prosecuted the defendant for first degree murder, burglary, and kidnapping of the victim in his family’s home. In response to defense counsel’s penalty phase argument to the jury for a life sentence, Martinez invoked the victim’s family’s loss, including that the victim’s father would never be able to speak with his murdered son, and he persisted with a line of argument concerning a defense expert witness’ alleged bias despite the trial court repeatedly sustaining defense counsel’s objections. State v. Gallardo, 225 Ariz. 560, 569 ¶¶ 41–44 (2010). We found Martinez’s conduct “improper,” noting “[a] prosecutor should not repeat an argument after it has been the subject of a sustained objection,” but we concluded that no pervasive misconduct deprived Gallardo of a fair trial. Id.