Opinion ID: 1058506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The State Made Improper Statements During Voir Dire

Text: The defendant contends the state made improper statements to the jury during voir dire, which denied him a fair trial. During voir dire, the prosecutor, in discussing the different roles of the courtroom participants, stated: On one matter that we all agree, we want a fair trial and impartial judicial proceeding. The defense wants that for their client, Mr. Robinson. But there's another person in this courtroom, ladies and gentlemen. Someone that you can't see. And that is the victim. The defense objected and the trial court instructed the prosecutor to ask the jurors a question. The prosecutor then stated to the jury, My question to you, ... is that you keep that in mind throughout all your deliberationsthere's one other person involved in this process. The defendant made no objection. The prosecutor then engaged in a lengthy discussion of the law and defined various legal terms. The prosecutor's comments during voir dire had no effect on the result of the trial. These statements were minuscule compared to the lengthy voir dire. Furthermore, there is no indication that the prosecutor was acting with the intent to provoke unfair bias among the potential jurors. This issue lacks merit.