Opinion ID: 759989
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prejudicial Closing Argument by Prosecution

Text: 16 This court reviews a prosecutor's remarks during closing argument for plain error and will reverse only to correct particularly egregious wrongs. See United States v. Young, 470 U.S. 1, 14-15, 105 S.Ct. 1038, 84 L.Ed.2d 1 (1985); United States v. Hooks, 780 F.2d 1526, 1532 (10th Cir.1986). Prior to closing arguments in this case, the district court cautioned: 17 [A]ttorneys are not supposed to state their own personal feelings about credibility of witnesses or the justness of a cause, so I don't want to hear the attorneys saying: I really believe that so and so is credible, or I really think that he isn't--that he's innocent or anything like that. You can't do it. 18 During the government's closing argument, its attorney stated, I'm not going to talk to you about things that I don't think need any more explanation. And the reason is because I think there is a lot of the evidence in this case that is just absolutely beyond any doubt at all. We find that this comment constituted, at most, de minimis error and certainly does not rise to the level of plain error needed for reversal. See United States v. Kapnison, 743 F.2d 1450, 1460 (10th Cir.1984) (Every slight excess of the prosecution does not require that a verdict be overturned and a new trial ordered.).