Opinion ID: 1947870
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 20

Heading: should the trial court have granted a mistrial because of prejudicial and improper closing arguments by the district attorney during the penalty phase?

Text: After the jury had retired for sentencing deliberations, the appellant moved for a mistrial, contending that the district attorney's statements during closing arguments about weighing the two aggravating circumstances against the one mitigating circumstance, the revolving prison doors, and the deterrent effect of the death penalty, were impermissible and prejudicial. The record does not contain the closing arguments and objection was not made contemporaneously with the statements. Where a defendant fails to object to a statement by the district attorney during closing argument, a motion for mistrial after the jury has retired to consider its verdict comes too late. Coburn v. State, 250 Miss. 684, 168 So.2d 123 (1964).