Opinion ID: 1129438
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Prosecutor's References to Defendant's Lack of Remorse

Text: (38) Defendant complains of prosecutorial argument to the effect that defendant failed to express any remorse for his acts. No objection was made to these comments, and accordingly the issue was waived. ( People v. Green (1980) 27 Cal.3d 1, 27 [164 Cal. Rptr. 1, 609 P.2d 468]; see People v. Miranda, supra, 44 Cal.3d at p. 107.) Moreover, we have held that the prosecutor properly may point out to the jury the absence of a particular mitigating factor such as remorse. ( People v. Ghent, supra, 43 Cal.3d 739, 771; see also Miranda, supra, at pp. 111-112.) Here, the jury was specifically instructed at defendant's request that it could consider remorse as a mitigating factor. Indeed, some of defendant's penalty witnesses testified that he wished he had not committed the offenses, and defense counsel referred to defendant's remorse in his closing argument. Moreover, the prosecutor at no time commented upon defendant's failure to testify or to confess to his crimes. His argument was limited to defendant's lack of remorse. We conclude that no misconduct occurred here.