Opinion ID: 165060
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trial After Mistrial

Text: For his prosecutorial-misconduct double-jeopardy argument, Mr. Rudolph relies on the proposition that “a defendant may invoke the bar of double jeopardy in a second effort to try him [if] the conduct giving rise to the successful motion for a mistrial was intended to provoke the defendant into moving for a mistrial.” Oregon v. Kennedy, 456 U.S. 667, 679 (1982); accord United States v. Gonzalez, -13- 248 F.3d 1201, 1203 (10th Cir. 2001). In Mr. Rudolph’s direct appeal the Utah Supreme Court stated that “the only question we must decide [to resolve this double-jeopardy argument] is whether the prosecution or the trial judge intentionally provoked a mistrial for purposes of affording the State another opportunity to convict Rudolph.” Rudolph, 970 P.2d at 1232. The court found that “[t]he record . . . shows that Rudolph himself opened the door into the very questioning that he now claims was prejudicial and warranted the mistrial.” Id. It also noted that in granting the mistrial, “[t]he [trial] court did not even allude to any misconduct by the prosecutor as a basis for the mistrial.” Id. The Utah Supreme Court held that “[i]n light of the foregoing, Rudolph cannot demonstrate that the judge or the prosecutor provoked the mistrial, let alone that they did so intentionally.” Id. Although Mr. Rudolph quotes the portion of the trial transcript that includes the questioning to which he objected and the discussion regarding whether to grant a mistrial, he fails to provide clear and convincing evidence that prosecutorial misconduct aimed at provoking a mistrial was the basis for the trial court’s grant of Mr. Rudolph’s motion for a mistrial. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1). Nor has he suggested where such evidence might appear in the trial record. Thus, we agree with the district court that habeas relief is unavailable on this ground.