Opinion ID: 2633286
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Challenge Regarding Defendant's Testimony

Text: Defendant contends the prosecutor's questions regarding his inability to tell his wife about discovering Powell's body at the crime scene were argumentative. On cross-examination, defendant testified that he did not inform his wife about finding Powell's body because he was scared and didn't have the courage to tell her. In response, the prosecutor asked defendant whether he thought his wife would have put a bag over his head and tortured him [13] if he told her what he had observed. Defendant claims the prosecutor's question was argumentative and constituted misconduct. No misconduct occurred. As stated, an argumentative question is designed to engage a witness in argument and is improper. ( People v. Mayfield, supra, 14 Cal.4th at p. 755, 60 Cal.Rptr.2d 1, 928 P.2d 485.) Here, the prosecutor properly challenged defendant regarding his explanation that he was scared and didn't have the courage to tell his wife about discovering Powell's body. The prosecutor's questions served to highlight for the jury the improbability of defendant's explanation. (See, e.g. People v. Bemore (2000) 22 Cal.4th 809, 847, 94 Cal.Rptr.2d 840, 996 P.2d 1152 [the prosecutor simply employed a rhetorical device calculated to focus the jury's attention on strong circumstantial evidence of guilt and on any corresponding weaknesses in the defense case].)