Opinion ID: 585701
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Mistrial Due to Prosecutor's Question

Text: 12 The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying a mistrial on the basis of an improper rhetorical question posed by the prosecutor. While the prosecutor's remark was no doubt improper, the statement did not taint the entire trial. The remark did not seek to elicit inadmissible or highly prejudicial information. Cf. United States v. Davenport, 753 F.2d 1460, 1463 (9th Cir.1985) (This danger of prosecutorial misconduct is especially acute where ... the insinuation is inadmissible propensity evidence upon the government's case in chief.). Nor did it imply the existence of additional incriminating evidence outside the courtroom. Cf. id. Rather, the statement sought to impress upon the jury that investors lost large amounts of money as a result of Gay's and Porter's activities. This sentiment had already been properly conveyed to the jury through the testimony of disappointed investors. See United States v. Paone, 782 F.2d 386, 395 (2d Cir.) (no reversible error where inadmissible evidence duplicated earlier testimony), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 882 (1986).