Opinion ID: 471405
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Prosecutorial Misconduct (Taylor)

Text: 47 In his closing argument, the government attorney stated, If there was a hit man in this case, Jimmy Taylor was a hit man; and who called him? Peter Martin. Taylor moved for mistrial on the basis of this statement and asked for a curative instruction by the court. The district court denied these requests, noting that the comment was reasonable in light of the evidence. Taylor argues on appeal that the government's characterization of him as a hit man was improper and prejudicial. However, we agree with the government that the comment was not improper given the evidence about Taylor's role in the beating and kidnapping. 48 Taylor was called to the Martin house when the suspicions that Endsley planned to kill Martin began to surface. He arrived with several guns and effectively took charge of the interrogation of Endsley, pistol-whipping her on at least one occasion. He was a central participant in the actual kidnapping and there was evidence he intended to kill Endsley. While the other defendants' presence in the Martin home at the time of Endsley's visit could be explained by circumstances unrelated to the unfolding crime, Taylor was asked to come to the house in response to the threat believed to be posed by Endsley. It was not unreasonable to characterize Taylor as the hit man ([i]f there was [one]) in the situation. The government attorney's comment does not suggest that the government had any information not presented to the jury that Taylor had acted as a hit man in other situations. 49 Even if improper, the characterization could not have been prejudicial. The evidence linking Taylor to the kidnapping was overwhelming. Testimony revealed that he and White were the defendants who actually placed Endsley in the camper and transported her across state lines against her will. The government's statement does not warrant reversal of Taylor's conviction.