Opinion ID: 1195279
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Charges of misconduct by the prosecutor

Text: Moore contends that the prosecutor improperly argued that the State had kept its promise to prove Moore guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and that Moore was not overcharged. The statements in controversy are: Ladies and gentlemen, when I stood before you and made my opening statement I also made a promise. The promise was that the evidence would prove beyond a reasonable doubt James Lamont Moore committed the crimes charged. I am telling you now with all sincerity, I kept my promise, ... (Emphasis added.) Mr. Wall also alluded to his concern that as a jury you consider individually all six of the counts. I don't disagree with that. In fact, the Court tells you in the instructions that you must consider the evidence individually regarding the various counts. They are all serious or they wouldn't be alleged. I do want to say however, that no one has tried to pile on charges in this case. (Emphasis added.) Prosecutors must be free to express their perceptions of the record, evidence, and inferences, properly drawn therefrom. See Jimenez v. State, 106 Nev. 769, 773, 801 P.2d 1366, 1368 (1990). However, prosecutors must not place their own personal certification on a jury argument by the use of such expressions as I personally believe or in my humble opinion. Id. However, a criminal conviction is not to be lightly overturned on the basis of a prosecutor's comment standing alone. See United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 11, 105 S.Ct. 1038, 84 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985). Relevant statements or conduct must be viewed in context to determine whether the prosecutor's conduct affected the fairness of the trial. Id. If the error is harmless, beyond a reasonable doubt, the conviction will stand. See Manning v. Warden, 99 Nev. 82, 87, 659 P.2d 847, 850 (1983). We conclude that the first disputed statement made by the prosecution was improper, but the second disputed statement was not. However, a careful review of the record suggests that the fairness of Moore's trial was unaffected by the improper statement. We therefore hold that while one of the disputed statements was improper, any resulting error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.