Opinion ID: 2634460
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Prosecutorial Misconduct in Closing

Text: [¶ 34] Allegations of prosecutorial misconduct are reviewed by referring to the entire record to determine whether a defendant's case has been so prejudiced that he has been denied a fair trial. Whether a comment within a closing argument is improper is measured in the context of the entire argument. Reversal is warranted only if a reasonable probability exists that without the error the appellant may have enjoyed a more favorable verdict. The defendant has the burden to prove this issue. Dysthe ¶ 22. Closing arguments must be based upon the evidence submitted to the jury. Trujillo v. State, 2002 WY 51, ¶ 5, n. 2, 44 P.3d 22, ¶ 5, n. 2 (Wyo.2002). A closing argument provides to counsel ways of viewing the significance of the evidence. Both prosecutors and defense counsel may review the evidence and suggest reasonable inferences to the jury based upon this evidence. Moore v. State, 2003 WY 153, ¶¶ 29-30, 80 P.3d 191, ¶¶ 29-30 (Wyo.2003). [¶ 35] At the very conclusion of a closing argument that consumes eight pages of the transcript, and which focused solely on the evidence pointing to Person's guilt, the prosecutor made this closing comment. The State has shown you  no, [CC] has shown you what the evidence shows you; that is, Dan Person is guilty. He's guilty of betraying [CC]. He is guilty of taking indecent liberties with [CC], a child. That's why I ask you, that's why it's your duty to find Dan Person guilty. Person did not object and so the district court did not have an opportunity to correct the asserted error, to the extent it was erroneous. We have held that while such arguments are improper and discouraged such an isolated comment does not necessitate reversal. See Wilde v. State, 2003 WY 93, ¶ 26, 74 P.3d 699, ¶ 26 (Wyo.2003). [¶ 36] In his rebuttal argument the prosecutor again urged the jury to convict because it is your sworn duty (Context: To convict in light of the evidence). Defense counsel objected and the district court sustained the objection. Defense counsel did not request further curative action from the district court. At the very end of his rebuttal the prosecutor urged the jury to convict because, The right thing is to find him guilty. Defense counsel did not object. [¶ 37] We have considered these incidents of alleged prosecutorial misconduct in light of the standard of review set out above. We have carefully examined the entirety of the argument in context and cannot conclude that Person was prejudiced by these fleeting comments, or that it is likely that the verdict would have been more favorable to him had they not been made. This is especially so in light of the district court's comprehensive instructions to the jury that it could only consider the evidence presented during the trial, and the instructions given by the court, in reaching its verdict.