Opinion ID: 1711324
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Improper Comments and References to Prior Bad Acts and Uncharged Crimes

Text: During penalty phase closing argument, the prosecutor observed with regard to Roberts, He has abused victim after victim after victim. The prosecutor also said, He is a monster. He raped his five year old sister. Roberts contends that the prosecutor should not have been able to reference these prior bad acts and uncharged crimes, and defense counsel was ineffective in failing to object to these comments. Where the jury is reminded of evidence in the penalty phase that the defendant put forward in support of his unsuccessful defense during the guilt phase, the defendant cannot complain that his counsel was ineffective in failing to object. This Court has upheld a prosecutor's statements during a death-penalty penalty phase argument that the defendant is evil or a predator where the evidence supports that characterization. State v. Simmons, 944 S.W.2d 165, 182 (Mo. banc 1997). Roberts's own evidence provides the basis for the prosecutor's statement and the characterization that follows. The motion court did not err in failing to find defense counsel ineffective for failure to object on this point. d.