Opinion ID: 505496
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: overreaching in closing argument

Text: 34 Equitable next claims error in two remarks of Gonzalez's counsel during closing argument. It alleges that counsel both misrepresented the evidence and improperly appealed to the jury's emotions by underlining the contrasting financial positions of the parties. Equitable contests the denial of its motions for mistrial. 35 The district court has considerable discretion in supervising attorneys' remarks during closing argument. See Mitchell v. Weaver, 806 F.2d 300, 302 (1st Cir.1986). We will reverse only upon a showing of prejudice. Id.; see also Roy v. Star Chopper Company, 584 F.2d 1124, 1135 (1st Cir.1978) (inadvertent reference to defendant's insurance carrier in closing argument not reversible error), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 916, 99 S.Ct. 1234, 59 L.Ed.2d 466 (1979). 36 We find that the contested remarks did not prejudice Equitable. Both remarks were relatively minor misstatements which were followed immediately by curative instructions from the bench. The first incident involved counsel's characterization of a discussion between Gonzalez and Berrios. Counsel stated: Neftali [Gonzalez] tells the insurance agent that his annual income, gross estimated, could be estimated at one hundred thousand. If he says that, surely, it was because he was asked. Equitable objected, arguing that Berrios did not ask Gonzalez a direct question about his gross income. Equitable contends that Gonzalez construed the disputed question about income incorrectly; he was not misled by the agent. The court acknowledged Equitable's position and cautioned the jury to disregard the misleading statement: Well, if that's the case. I don't remember, I don't want to make it a memory contest but if that's the case, you recall, then your position is well taken and we will have the jury disregard the fact that this was in response to a question. The second disputed statement concerned the relevance of the insured's income to the issuance of the policy. Counsel stated: Now, how about the importance of this income? What is the importance? Is it related to the disability? How Equitable was affected or hurt by anything put down in that application by the agent? Equitable argues that the statement was improper because it appealed to the emotions of the jury by contrasting the financial positions of the parties. In fact, the remark represented an attempt to question the materiality of the income provisions in the insurance application. Although counsel's effort was improper because the district court had settled the question of materiality in its order of July 9, 1986, the court cured any error with an immediate instruction to the jury: The jury is to disregard the comment with regard to ... the issue of the relationship. In addition, the final instructions to the jury contained a reminder of the equality of the parties:This case should be considered and decided by you as an action between persons of equal standing in the community and holding the same or similar stations in life. A corporation is entitled to the same fair trial at your hands as is a private individual. The law is no respector of persons and all persons, including corporations, stand equal before the law and are to be dealt with as equal in a court of justice. 37 We find that these cautionary instructions cured any possible prejudice which may have resulted from the challenged statements. We find no reversible error.