Opinion ID: 1913318
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 36

Heading: did the prosecutor improperly express his personal opinions?

Text: ¶ 160. Holland failed to object to the majority of these statements at trial. First, in response to the defense psychologist stating one cannot compare the results of two psychological tests, the prosecutor stated, I'm confident that you can't, Doctor. Second, the prosecutor in closing argument stated he hate[s] to hear that the defendant used a mitigator that he could not appreciate the criminality of his conduct. Third, the prosecutor stated that he missed the defendant's presentation of mitigating mental problems, and that the prosecutor could not personally think of what the duress was, which Holland allegedly claimed. Fourth, in closing argument, the prosecutor quipped so what to several of Holland's assertions of problems offered in mitigation. Fifth, the prosecutor exclaimed that he was glad that he didn't have to change the jury's mind about the sentence because I think I'm probably in your way right now. I always have that feeling when I come up here. Again, we hold that because Holland did not object to these statements, they are procedurally barred. Chase, 645 So.2d at 854-55. ¶ 161. Holland objected at trial only to the two following comments. These objections were on unrelated grounds, and thus are also procedurally barred. Harrison v. State, 635 So.2d 894, 903 (Miss. 1994). ¶ 162. The prosecutor argued that Holland's defense of alcohol impairment and bad home life in childhood was not mitigation, folks, and did not go to mitigate this. On the merits, this Court has advised prosecutors not to use the pronoun I when arguing to a jury, so that a jury would not infer that the prosecutor personally feels a fact is true. Mack v. State, 650 So.2d 1289, 1321 (Miss. 1994), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 116 S.Ct. 214, 133 L.Ed.2d 146 (1995). Since the State did not use any words to tell the jury that the district attorney personally believed a fact was true, we hold that the comments were permissible. Mack, 650 So.2d at 1321.