Opinion ID: 1472408
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rear View Mirror Argument

Text: In closing argument, the prosecutor argued that, contrary to appellant's version of events, the mirror was never touched while appellant drove his friend to the hospital after he was shot, and he guaranteed that appellant had not touched it. [10] Appellant contends that the record does not support the inference that the mirror had not been moved, while the government contends that it was a fair inference from the testimony and a photograph of the vehicle taken after appellant hurriedly left the decedent at the hospital, which showed the rear view mirror in its customary position. Appellant testified that before the shooting, he had moved the mirror so far towards the passenger seat where he was seated that the driver, Anderson, could not see what was going on behind him. Appellant then described a fast developing scene during which he warned Anderson of the approach of Aaron and Pooh from the rear, which he was observing through the rearview mirror. He testified that shots rang out, and then he and Anderson pulled their weapons. He testified that the car swerved, and Anderson slumped over the wheel, requiring appellant to grab the wheel and drive to the hospital, while trying to hold Anderson up. The evidence showed that appellant got out of the vehicle and immediately ran away. The government argues, persuasively, that in order to credit appellant's version of the events, the mirror had to be placed back into its customary position between the time appellant used it to observe Aaron and Poo approaching from the rear and the time that he arrived at the hospital where he left his mortally wounded friend. This evidence, along with evidence that the mirror was in its customary position when photographed at the hospital by the crime scene officers, is sufficient to permit a reasonable inference that no opportunity was shown when appellant could have moved the mirror back to its customary position, and therefore, it had not been turned toward appellant as he described. The prosecutor is permitted to argue reasonable inferences from the evidence. Streater v. United States, 478 A.2d 1055, 1059 (D.C.1984) (citing Tuckson, supra, 364 A.2d at 142) (other citation omitted). It does not appear that the prosecutor treaded into the area of impermissible speculation with this argument. See Clayborne, supra, 751 A.2d at 969 (citation omitted). The argument had a basis in the evidence and reasonable inferences from it. Therefore, we find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's decision to permit the argument over appellant's objection.