Opinion ID: 2427858
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prosecutor's Shifting of Burden of Proof

Text: For his third point, Noel urges that the trial court should have declared a mistrial based on the prosecutor's comments in closing argument that had the effect of shifting the burden of proof to the defense. Noel contends that there were three such instances. A mistrial is an extreme remedy that should only be used when the error is beyond repair by any curative measure. Bullock v. State, 317 Ark. 204, 876 S.W.2d 579 (1994); Drymon v. State, 316 Ark. 799, 875 S.W.2d 73 (1994). The trial court is given broad discretion to control counsel in closing arguments, and we do not interfere with that discretion absent a manifest abuse of it. Lee v. State, 326 Ark. 529, 932 S.W.2d 756 (1996); Mills v. State, 322 Ark. 647, 910 S.W.2d 682 (1995). Closing remarks that require reversal are rare and require an appeal to the jurors' passions. Lee v. State, supra . Furthermore, the trial court is in the best position to evaluate the potential for prejudice based on the prosecutor's remarks. Bullock v. State, supra . The first remark questioned by Noel occurred during the prosecutor's closing argument in the guilt phase. Noel had taken the stand earlier and testified that he was not present when the murders took place. He gave the names of several alibi witnesses, including his wife, whom he stated was in the courtroom. None of these witnesses had taken the stand. During closing argument, the prosecutor asked the jury to consider Noel's credibility in light of his alibi witnesses who did not testify. Defense counsel objected and moved for a mistrial. The trial court sustained the objection but denied the motion for mistrial. Noel did not ask that the jury be admonished to disregard that statement. We have dealt with similar issues in the cases of Bullock v. State, supra , and Cook v. State, 316 Ark. 384, 872 S.W.2d 72 (1994). In Bullock , this court affirmed the trial court's denial of a motion for a mistrial when the State argued that the defense had failed to provide a copy of a check that would corroborate the defendant's alibi that he was working at the time. We held: The trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying appellant's request for a mistrial. The prosecutor's remarks were not a comment on appellant's failure to testify or to produce evidence, but an attempt to reiterate the attack on the credibility of appellant's testimony. Such a review of the evidence is not prohibited given that appellant took the stand and offered the alibi testimony. Appellant cannot testify on his own behalf and then expect the Fifth Amendment to prohibit the state from questioning the credibility of his testimony or from calling the lack of credibility to the jury's attention during closing argument. Bullock, 317 Ark. at 206, 876 S.W.2d at 580-81. In Cook v. State, supra , this court upheld the trial court's denial of a motion for a mistrial when the prosecutor argued that defense counsel had failed to call an additional alibi witness that would corroborate the testimony of another alibi witness. The trial court denied defense counsel's motion for a mistrial but admonished the jury. This Court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying defense counsel's motion for a mistrial because: [T]he comment was not about the accused's failure to testify in violation of his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. Rather, it was about the trustworthiness of a witness's recollection of a date and her confirmation about that date. At most, it was an attempt to shift the burden of proof, and we cannot say that the trial court erred in determining that the instruction remedied that wrong. Cook v. State, 316 Ark. at 387, 872 S.W.2d at 73-74. This case is no different from Bullock v. State, supra , or Cook v. State, supra , in that it was the actions of defense counsel and Noel himself that put his credibility in issue. It was a fair inference to be argued to the jury that the failure of Noel to call any alibi witness to the stand undermined his credibility. Any prejudice resulting from the prosecutor's allusion to absent testimony could have been easily cured by an admonishment, which defense counsel did not request. Cook v. State, supra . The second instance of an alleged prejudicial comment occurred during the State's rebuttal argument in the guilt phase. It concerned photo spreads used by the Little Rock police officers to identify Noel. In defense counsel's closing argument, he posited the question of why the prosecutor had not introduced into evidence the photo spreads used to identify Noel. In rebuttal argument, the prosecutor parried with the argument that defense counsel had access to the photo spreads and could just as easily have cross-examined the State's witnesses about them. The prosecutor further hinted that defense counsel did not do so because he would not have liked the response. Defense counsel objected and argued that the State was again trying to shift the burden of proof. The trial court sustained the objection, denied a motion for a mistrial, and admonished the jury to disregard the prosecutor's argument. This court has held that the trial court is given broad discretion in controlling counsel in closing arguments, and we will not disturb the trial court's decision absent a manifest abuse of discretion. See, e.g., Lee v. State, supra . Remarks that are so prejudicial as to mandate a reversal are rare and require an appeal to the jurors' passions. Id. In addition, this court has recognized that when one party uses improper closing remarks, the other party may respond with what would ordinarily be improper remarks. See Calloway v. State, 330 Ark. 143, 953 S.W.2d 571 (1997); Larimore v. State, 317 Ark. 111, 877 S.W.2d 570 (1994); McFadden v. State, 290 Ark. 177, 717 S.W.2d 812 (1986). Here, the argument presented by the prosecutor was the same as that presented by the defense. But even assuming that the prosecutor's argument was not appropriate, any prejudice was cured by the trial court's admonishment. Although Noel now claims that the admonishment was vague and ineffective, he did not object to the manner of the admonishment at trial. The issue of the effectiveness of the admonishment, accordingly, is not preserved for our review. Finally, during the prosecutor's closing argument at the end of the penalty phase, he referred to Noel as a psychopath. Defense counsel objected, but not on grounds that this comment shifted the burden of proof. Nor did defense counsel move for a mistrial or object to the trial court's subsequent admonishment of the jury, which he requested. This point also is not preserved for appeal. Moreover, Noel cannot now complain when he obtained the relief requested. Rankin v. State, 329 Ark. 379, 948 S.W.2d 397 (1997). The three incidents cited by Noel could all have been cured by an admonishment to the jury, if, in fact, they were inappropriate in any respect. The jury was admonished in two instances, and an admonishment was not requested in the third case. Noel did not object to the substance or effectiveness of the admonishments given. We affirm the trial court's ruling in each respect.