Opinion ID: 1831577
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Improper Vouching of Witness and Personal Opinions.

Text: ¶ 57. Next Walker contends that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to comments of the prosecutor which he contends vouched for the reliability of Jason Riser's testimony and offered personal opinions regarding the same. This claim was raised on direct appeal, and the Court held the underlying substantive merits of the claim to be procedurally barred. See Walker, 671 So.2d at 616. The Court did not alternatively address the merits of this claim under this heading in its opinion on direct appeal. Instead, in the conclusion to the discussion of prosecutorial misconduct section of the opinion, the Court held: Considering all of the alleged impermissible comments of the prosecutor, only one appears close, the vouching for Riser. As noted, other comments are barred and alternatively, meritless. In Minnick, the Court stated: Taken as a whole, all of these statements fall into the permissible latitude afforded attorneys in closing argument. As this Court stated in Johnson v. State, 416 So.2d 383, 391 (Miss. 1982), quoting Nelms and Blum Company v. Fink, 159 Miss. 372, 382, 131 So. 817, 820 (1930): Counsel was not required to be logical in argument; he is not required to draw sound conclusions, or to have a perfect argument measured by logical and rhetorical rules; his function is to draw conclusions and inferences from evidence on behalf of his client in whatever he deems proper, so long as he does not become abusive and go outside the confines of the record. Minnick, 551 So.2d at 93. Walker argues that the cumulative effect of the improper comments and other misconduct of the prosecution deprived him of a fair trial. Walker is correct in citing Stringer v. State, 500 So.2d 928 (Miss.1986), which notes that death penalty cases demand heightened review and thus require that the cumulative impact of all the factors outlined above be reviewed.... However, careful consideration of Walker's claims reveals no prosecutorial misconduct supporting reversal. There is no merit to Walker's assertion that he has been denied a fair trial. 671 So.2d at 619. The Court did address the question on its merits and found that the comment was not reversible error. Since the underlying substantive merits have been held to be without merit, Walker cannot show the prejudice which is necessary to sustain a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Walker has failed to demonstrate prejudice in the failure to object. He is entitled to no relief on this claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.