Opinion ID: 2584893
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Evidence Concerning and Comment upon Defendant's Lack of Remorse

Text: Defendant contends the prosecutor committed misconduct by eliciting testimony concerning defendant's failure to demonstrate remorse about Bowie's murder, and then commenting on the absence of remorse during closing argument. We have held that [u]nless a defendant opens the door to the matter in his or her case-in-chief [citation], his or her remorse is irrelevant at the guilt phase. ( People v. Jones (1998) 17 Cal.4th 279, 307 [70 Cal.Rptr.2d 793, 949 P.2d 890].) However, the only objection defendant made to any of the testimony was sustained, and the jury was instructed to disregard that answer, which alleviated any possibility of prejudice arising from any misconduct that might have occurred in that instance. [25] Defendant did not object to any part of the prosecutor's closing argument that he now cites as error on appeal. Because objections to the remaining allegedly improper conduct would not have been futile, defendant has forfeited these other challenges. In any event, in light of the overwhelming evidence against defendant, we conclude that even if the prosecutor's references to a lack of remorse on defendant's part were misconduct, neither the fairness nor outcome of the trial was affected to any significant degree.