Opinion ID: 166515
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Expressing a personal opinion about the death penalty

Text: 73 Mr. Malicoat argues that the prosecutor improperly expressed his personal beliefs about the death penalty. Mr. Malicoat cites the prosecutor's statements that [t]here's a place in our system for the death penalty, [i]t is proper punishment, [t]his is the time, [t]he only just verdict this case warrants the death penalty, and that [w]e need you to do it for Tessa. Tr. Trans. vol. V, at 203, 211. He points out that the prosecutor also asked What kind of crime besides the torture of a 13-month-old is a proper crime for the death penalty? What justifies it more than this crime? Id. at 203. 74 Mr. Malicoat did not object to this line of argument at trial. On direct appeal, the OCCA noted that it had repeatedly warned prosecutors not to engage in these specific arguments or express personal opinions about the appropriateness of the death penalty. Malicoat, 992 P.2d at 402. However, the court further concluded, these `improper and reprehensible comments' did not deprive Malicoat of a substantial right or go to the foundation of his defense. Id. (quoting Harjo v. State, 882 P.2d at 1067, 1076 (Okla.Crim.App.1994)). 75 Again, the OCCA's ruling was not unreasonable. `Expressions of personal opinion by the prosecutor are a form of unsworn, unchecked testimony and tend to exploit the influence of the prosecutor's office and undermine the objective detachment that should separate a lawyer from the cause being argued.' Young, 470 U.S. at 8 n. 5, 105 S.Ct. 1038 (quoting ABA STANDARDS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3-5.8); see also Le v. Mullin, 311 F.3d 1002, 1021 (10th Cir.2002) (concluding that a prosecutor's statement that the jury could only do justice in this case by bringing in a verdict of death constituted misconduct) (internal quotation marks and alterations omitted). However, we have further concluded that, in light of overwhelming evidence of a defendant's guilt, evidence of aggravating factors supporting a death sentence, and the general content of the instructions to the jury, such comments do not necessarily deprive a defendant of a fair trial. See Le, 311 F.3d at 1021. Here, these factors support the OCCA's conclusion that the prosecutor's improper comments did not deprive Mr. Malicoat of a fair trial. 76