Opinion ID: 1127469
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Request for Mistrial

Text: Roger argues that the denial of his motion for mistrial was error. The motion was prompted by a detective's testimony that blood was drawn from each defendant by a nurse in jail. Another officer referred to defendants being in jail when testifying about clothing taken from defendants. Roger also argues that exhibit 225, a picture of him, was prejudicial because it suggests that he was in custody when it was taken. The trial court has broad discretion in ruling on a motion for mistrial, and failure to grant the motion is error only if it was a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Stuard, 176 Ariz. 589, 601, 863 P.2d 881, 893 (1993). In deciding whether a mistrial is required due to witness comments, the trial court must consider whether the comments caused jurors to consider improper matters and the probability that the jurors were influenced by such comments. Id. Neither the comments about jail nor the photograph require a mistrial: A declaration of a mistrial is the most dramatic remedy for trial error and should be granted only when it appears that justice will be thwarted unless the jury is discharged and a new trial granted. State v. Adamson, 136 Ariz. 250, 262, 665 P.2d 972, 984, cert. denied, 464 U.S. 865, 104 S.Ct. 204, 78 L.Ed.2d 178 (1983). The trial court's decision will be reversed only if it's palpably improper and clearly injurious. State v. Walton, 159 Ariz. 571, 581, 769 P.2d 1017, 1027 (1989), aff'd, 497 U.S. 639, 110 S.Ct. 3047, 111 L.Ed.2d 511 (1990). Certainly the jurors were aware that defendants were arrested and had spent some time in custody prior to trial. Such knowledge is not prejudicial and does not deny defendants the presumption of innocence.