Opinion ID: 2518032
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Aggravating Evidence Outside the Record

Text: Near the outset of her penalty phase argument, the prosecutor stated, You will recall during jury selection we talked about aggravating factors and mitigating factors. The law is very specific about what can be used. I cannot bring in every single bad thing this defendant has done throughout his entire life to convince you to give him the death penalty. I'm limited to [section 190.3,] factors (a), (b) and (c) up there on the chart. Defendant points to the prosecutor's comment regarding every single bad thing this defendant has done throughout his life. He asserts the prosecutor improperly informed the jury that defendant had committed other bad acts worthy of their consideration, but which were not admissible. He claims the prosecutor's misconduct violated his statutory rights under section 190.3 as well as various federal and state constitutional rights. Defendant did not object to this argument and has forfeited his claim of error. Moreover, any error was harmless. The prosecutor's comment could be understood as defendant suggests. Jurors also could have understood the prosecutor as simply emphasizing the limited nature of the aggravating factors the jury could consider. Assuming defendant's interpretation is correct, he was not prejudiced. The comment was brief and ambiguous.