Opinion ID: 2116540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 20

Heading: 5. Criminal Background and Physical Abuse

Text: During redirect examination of Lotter's girl friend, McKenzie, the prosecutor asked McKenzie why she went to Missouri on a certain day. McKenzie stated that she went to Missouri to get the bond or the bond money that we had bailed John out of jail with. The record indicates the prosecution was aware that McKenzie went to Missouri on account of Lotter's being in jail on an unrelated charge and that the court had sustained a motion in limine prohibiting the prosecution from discussing Lotter's prior criminal background without first approaching the court. Defense counsel objected, moved for mistrial, and asked that the court admonish the jury to disregard the question and response and have them stricken. The court overruled the motion for mistrial and admonished the jury to disregard the question and answer. Error cannot ordinarily be predicated on the failure to grant a mistrial if an objection or motion to strike the improper material is sustained and the jury is admonished to disregard such material. The defendant must prove that the alleged error actually prejudiced him, rather than creating only the possibility of prejudice. State v. Morrison, 243 Neb. 469, 500 N.W.2d 547 (1993). Ordinarily, when an objection to or motion to strike improper evidence is sustained and the jury is instructed to disregard it, such instruction is deemed sufficient to prevent prejudice. State v. Myers, 244 Neb. 905, 510 N.W.2d 58 (1994). We conclude that there was no prejudice in the instant case. Lotter also asserts that the prosecutor committed misconduct when he asked McKenzie this question: Now, this stormy relationship is a nice euphemism for the physical abuse he's inflicted on you, John Lotter, isn't it? Defense counsel objected, and the objection was sustained. However, defense counsel did not move for mistrial. A party who fails to make a timely motion for mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct waives the right to assert on appeal that the court erred in not declaring a mistrial due to such prosecutorial misconduct. State v. Wilson, 252 Neb. 637, 564 N.W.2d 241 (1997).