Opinion ID: 2975989
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Instances Complained of are Improper.

Text: Billman complains of three instances of misconduct. First, the prosecutor offered Exhibit 67 into evidence, despite its reference to Billman’s participation in a drug-treatment program, a subject which the district court previously determined could not be referenced at trial. Second, the prosecutor’s questioning of Billman’s parole officer elicited testimony about Billman’s parole violations, a subject that the district court had also determined was inadmissible. Third, the prosecutor’s closing arguments falsely asserted that Exhibit 50 was a picture of a “crime as it occurred,” where Exhibit 50 was the photograph of Billman standing near his son Nicholas, in hunting gear, while Nicholas held a shotgun. Although the prosecutor’s conduct in the aforementioned instances was improper, it was not flagrant and does not require a new trial.