Opinion ID: 1440035
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Stabbing an Inmate

Text: Defendant alleges prosecutorial misconduct in the cross-examination of Dr. Nelda Ferguson, the only mitigation witness called by the defense. While it is unlikely that this precise issue will arise again on retrial, we address it briefly because Defendant has filed a motion asking us to remand for a new trial due to this alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Dr. Ferguson testified that Defendant had an impulse control disorder, a personality disorder and an intermittent explosive disorder. She concluded he could control his impulses in a very structured environment and with medication. On cross-examination, she admitted that, despite the fact that he had been on medication and in a structured setting while incarcerated, he had accumulated 67 disciplinary and incident reports. In order to test Dr. Ferguson's credibility, and to test the validity and weight of her opinion, the State further cross-examined her concerning an incident report that accused Defendant of stabbing another inmate. The State hoped to show that Dr. Ferguson was not familiar with his prior violence and that her testimony that his problems could be controlled in a structured environment stood in stark contrast to his numerous incident reports. In response, she said she considered everything, including the reported stabbing. On appeal, Defendant now offers a document that he claims shows he was cleared of the prior charge. He asserts that the prosecutor engaged in misconduct and misled the jury by asking Dr. Ferguson about her familiarity with this alleged incident without also clarifying for the jury that Defendant's name had been cleared. [14] But, Defendant did not raise this issue below, the document on which he relies is not in the record, and the State does not concede its accuracy. It is, therefore, not properly before the Court. Even were the document in the record, and assuming it is accurate, defense counsel has offered no evidence that the prosecutor was aware of the document during trial. To the contrary, inasmuch as defense counsel failed to cross-examine on this issue, and instead agreed that the witness could be excused without further questioning, it appears that even defense counsel was not aware of it at the time. It is certain that counsel did not bring this matter to the trial court's attention until long after Dr. Ferguson had completed her testimony. The court cannot be faulted for not excluding testimony for a reason not made known to it. [15] Driver, 912 S.W.2d at 54.