Opinion ID: 2613258
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Prosecutor's Opening Statement

Text: In his opening statement, the prosecutor described the setting of the murders as follows: [The Williams] went out to the kitchen area, started a pot of coffee, turned the radio on, sat down at the kitchen table. What happened in the next 10, 15, 20 minutes can only be described as unspeakable horror. It was evil. What happened in that next 10, 15, 20 minutes ended everything for Jackie and Herbert Williams. And the cause and the reason that it ended is right here in the courtroom. The evil is among us. Reporter's Transcript of June 28, 1988, at 18. The trial court sustained a defense objection, but denied a mistrial. Runningeagle argues that the statements were an appeal to passion and prejudice, entitling him to a new trial. Although the prosecutor's use of the words horror and evil was argument and, thus, objectionable, there was no appeal to passion or prejudice. The words were merely a characterization of the evidence. The evidence would show horror. The evidence would show evil behavior. These were reasonable inferences to be drawn from the evidence. That inferences were made at the beginning of the case, rather than at the end of the case where they belonged, does not warrant a new trial. The court properly denied the motion for mistrial. [2]