Opinion ID: 1610587
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 29

Heading: Was there prosecutorial misconduct during the penalty phase?

Text: Nixon contends the following language by the district attorney during the open statement of the penalty phase was a violation of the prosecutor's privilege: Ladies and Gentlemen, at this stage of the trial the State has an opportunity to present further evidence to you as to what are aggravating circumstances. Aggravating circumstances are circumstances that weigh against the Defendant as far as penalty and that ought to be considered against him for that purpose. We say that under those matters that the legislature has said are aggravating circumstances that the proof will support three.... Number two, this capital murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. I think the evidence will bear out that there can be no case that would be more atrocious, heinous or cruel... . We believe that once we have adduced our evidence that you will see that the aggravating circumstances outweigh any mitigating circumstances that might be presented and that he ought to be given a penalty of a death sentence on account of his crime. Thank you. (Emphasis added). Prosecutors should refrain from interjecting personal beliefs into the presentation of their cases. U.S. v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 8, 105 S.Ct. 1038, 1043, 84 L.Ed.2d 1, 8 (1985). [5] A prosecutor may strike hard blows, but he is not at liberty to strike foul ones. Berger v. U.S., 295 U.S. 78, 88, 55 S.Ct. 629, 633, 79 L.Ed. 1314, 1321 (1935). This Court holds that the blows struck by the prosecutor were neither hard nor foul. Likewise, the language does not even approach the threshold of reversibility. Next, Nixon complains of the prosecutor's invoking of the Code of Moses. While Nixon contends that an argument which invites the jury to consider religion as relevant is improper, Nixon fails to mention his own attorney was the first to inject religion into the trial. Pleading for mercy, defense counsel made comparisons to Cain and Abel, Moses, King David, Saul/Paul and finally to Jesus Christ. (R. 580-582) Afterward, the district attorney distinguished the circumstances surrounding Jesus Christ, Cain and Abel, and Moses and concluded: The only killings that I know from my Bible that happened were acts of war or in self-defense against Goliath. You can rely on your own memory in that regard, but I am simply saying all of this to say this: that that has no application to this. I ask you to dispassionately consider the law that the Court has given you. The facts is your domain. The law is the Court's domain. The Judge has told you in the instructions to dispassionately view the aggravating circumstances that are proved on one hand and mitigating circumstances on the other hand and see which ones outweigh each other in your view and render a sentence accordingly. Why should you do that instead of ruling on some emotionalizm (sic) for the State or for the Defendant? But, if you will follow the law and the guidelines on it, it will promote consistency. You see, if another capital murder happens here or in some other county of this State, that Defendant on trial deserves the same fair trial that this Defendant deserves. If juries will follow the guidelines of the law, then death penalties or life sentences will be given in a consistent manner with some rhyme or reason behind them and not that this jury said, Well, I feel sorry for his mother, or whatever. (Emphasis added). This Court holds that conduct of the district attorney dictates no reversible error.