Opinion ID: 2549552
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Issue 5. Did prosecutorial misconduct and district court error violate Kunellis' rights to due process and a fair trial?

Text: Kunellis claims the State committed misconduct and the district court committed error in allowing the jury to consider several items of evidence and several State's comments during opening statement and closing argument. More particularly, he alleges these were designed to evoke sympathy for the victims and combined to violate his rights to due process and a fair trial. Kunellis argues that whether under our standards of review for prosecutorial misconduct or erroneous admission of evidence, the error was reversible. See generally State v. Holmes, 272 Kan. 491 (if prosecutor's statements rise to level of violating defendant's right to fair trial and deny defendant his or her Fourteenth Amendment right to due process, reversible error occurs despite lack of contemporaneous objection); State v. Yardley, 267 Kan. 37, 40, 978 P.2d 886 (1999) (error based upon exclusion of evidence reviewed for abuse of discretion). We will examine each allegation of error. Kunellis first challenges the testimony of a forensic pathologist, Dr. Michael Handler, concerning Sloan's and Sanders' injuries. He claims the details elicited concerning the autopsy procedure and the victims' injuries were irrelevant, gruesome, and prejudicial to his case. He specifically claims comments by the doctor that there was blood coming from both of Sanders' ears, that she suffered a fractured skull, and that the injury was confirmed when they removed her brain were improper. Kunellis finds Handler's description of Sloan's injuries particularly objectionable. In describing the effects of Sloan's broken pelvis, Handler indicated Sloan's penis and scrotum were discolored and swollen. He also indicated Sloan was uncomfortable due to his extensive injuries and that he probably knew he was dying slowly. We disagree with Kunellis. A party must make a timely and specific objection to the admission of evidence at trial in order to preserve the issue for appeal. State v. Jamison, 269 Kan. 564, 569-70, 7 P.3d 1204 (2000). Kunellis failed to object. Furthermore, even if Kunellis had objected, the admission of evidence lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. Judicial discretion is abused when judicial action is arbitrary, fanciful, or unreasonable. If reasonable persons could differ as to the propriety of the action taken by the trial court, then it cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion. One who asserts that the court abused its discretion bears the burden of showing such abuse of discretion. Lumley, 266 Kan. at 950. As the State had the burden of proving the fact and cause of Sloan's and Sanders' deaths, we hold there was no abuse of discretion by the court in admitting Handler's testimony. Included in our holding is a rejection of Kunellis' suggestion that this testimony was designed to evoke sympathy for the victims. Of greater concern is the testimony of Allen Epstein, and its foreshadowing by the State's comments in opening statement. Kunellis primarily cites State v. Donesay, 265 Kan. 60, 82-89, 959 P.2d 862 (1998), and Carter, 270 Kan. at 442, in support of his argument. Whether analyzed as prosecutorial misconduct or as erroneous admission of prejudicial evidence, we hold error was committed and should not be repeated upon retrial, as discussed below. Kunellis claims that the State's opening statement, though unchallenged at trial, presented a Norman Rockwellesque picture of the victims' lives just prior to the accident: Driving in that white Toyota Camry were 30-year-old Rick Sloan and 30-year-old Simoane [ sic ] Sanders. You'll hear they're both from the Springfield area, that they planned to be married this summer, that they  Rick had taken a position in Denver, Colorado, and flown in to the Kansas City International Airport, that Simaone [ sic ] had picked him up at the airport, that they spent the night at a restaurant and at the Christmas lights on the Plaza and were heading southbound into Overland Park to spend the evening in a hotel in Johnson County. The State's evidence supporting these comments was elicited from its first witness, Epstein, who had been Rick Sloan's best friend. Epstein stated he had been asked by the families of Sloan and Sanders to testify, and he was to have been the best man at the couple's approaching summer wedding. Further, he gave a brief description of their careers and explained what the couple was doing in Kansas City on the evening of the accident prior to their deaths. Epstein went on to identify a photo of the couple. He testified without objection. In Donesay, as cited by Kunellis, this court reversed a conviction for premeditated first-degree murder and a hard 40 sentence. We stated we had no choice but to reverse because the State's insistence in presenting the victim's widow's testimony to the jury affected the substantial rights of the defendant to a fair trial. 265 Kan. at 89. Commenting on the materiality of the widow's testimony, this court observed: The purpose of the State's eliciting Mrs. Easter's testimony was not to identify the defendant as the killer, was not to show that he intended to kill Officer Easter, and was not to show premeditation. Her testimony was not intended to show the guilt of the defendant, and it did not. We can only conclude that it was intended to infuriate and inflame the jury against the defendant. 265 Kan. at 89. In Carter, also as cited by Kunellis, we found that though a father's statement was much briefer and less inflammatory than the widow's in Donesay, it was still immaterial and served only to inflame the jury. 270 Kan. at 442. We reinforced our holding in Donesay by quoting that decision: `The admission of evidence in a murder trial regarding the victim's family, the victim's relationship with a spouse or family members and friends, the victim's character, and the details of the victim's last days before death which has been intentionally and not accidentally elicited by the prosecuting attorney during trial, is patently improper and reversible error.' 265 Kan. 60, Syl. ¶ 9. 270 Kan. at 442. Epstein's testimony fits into this category. Since we are reversing and remanding on other grounds, and since we hold Epstein's testimony  and related prosecutorial comments  were error that should not be repeated on retrial, we need not review in detail the harmless error cases cited by the State. See State v. Galloway, 268 Kan. 682, 689-90, 1 P.3d 844 (2000); State v. Caenan, 270 Kan. 776, 789, 19 P.3d 142 (2001). We will observe, however, that the error was too substantial to be cured by providing the jury with instruction No. 5: You must consider this case without favoritism or sympathy for or against either party. Neither sympathy nor prejudice should influence you. We also reject the State's argument that the evidence was admissible to demonstrate Sloan and Sanders were in a serious committed relationship and were not driving to a hotel for a one-night stand. The State may not present evidence of a victim's good character unless and until it has been attacked by the defense. State v. Mader, 261 Kan. 280, Syl. ¶ 1, 931 P.2d 1247 (1997). Epstein was the State's first witness in its case in chief. On the same theme, Kunellis complains about the State's comments during rebuttal closing argument which he claims again drew improper attention to the victims' deaths: [Prosecutor]: I would ask that you also remember that there were two people that you didn't hear from in this case and that's because they're no longer alive, and when you  [Kunellis' counsel]: Objection, your Honor. THE COURT: Excuse me. State your objection. [Kunellis' counsel]: Once again, the State is referring to sympathy which has been dealt with by the Court and instructions. THE COURT: It does appear to be a sympathy argument, Mr. Guinn. [Prosecutor]: I'd ask you to remember that those individuals have the right to have their case presented in court. And, yeah, it's tough to look at these pictures, but the State who would contend that these pictures are part of this case and [to] short circuit . . . or present to you as jurors of this case half the evidence isn't fair to those families. The State believes that it was a fair presentation of the evidence. Mr. Johnson certainly knows that there were numerous autopsy photographs that we didn't even try to get in because we understood that this case is to be on [the] facts. Mr. Johnson [Rogers' counsel]: Judge, I would object to his comments about things not in evidence. THE COURT: Sustained. The State argues these prosecutor's comments do not violate the two-part test for prosecutorial misconduct articulated in State v. Finley, 268 Kan. 557, 571-72, 998 P.2d 95 (2000): (1) Were the remarks outside the considerable latitude the prosecutor is allowed in discussing the evidence, and (2) were the remarks so gross and flagrant as to prejudice the jury against the defendant and to deny the defendant a fair trial? More particularly, it contends the comments were merely in response to Kunellis' attempt to evoke sympathy based on his age and codefendant Rogers' attempt to place the jury in his shoes. Consequently, any error should be considered without prejudice when the questionable statements of a prosecuting attorney are provoked and made in response to previous arguments or statements of defense counsel. See State v. McKinney, 272 Kan. 331, 347-48, 33 P.3d 234 (2002). We disagree with the State's characterization. Most importantly, the prosecutor's comments had a negative impact on Kunellis' right to a fair trial and, therefore, should not be repeated at retrial. See State v. McCorkendale, 267 Kan. 263, 286, 979 P.2d 1239 (1999) (remarks about victim not being there to tell jurors what happened may be designed to elicit sympathy for victim and thus be improper). In summary, during the retrial the testimony of Epstein  with related prosecutorial comment  should not be allowed. Nor should prosecutorial comment be made regarding the inability of the two decedents to testify.