Opinion ID: 2293708
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Prosecutorial Misconduct at Penalty Stage

Text: Appellant next contends that his death sentence should be vacated due to the following allegations of prosecutorial misconduct during the penalty phase: (1) that the prosecutor made a victim impact argument [28] without having presented victim impact evidence and after having indicated that there would be no victim impact presentation; [29] (2) that the prosecutor improperly urged the jury to disregard the age mitigator in violation of due process and the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Appellant's first claim of prosecutorial misconduct is not cognizable under the PCRA because it was previously litigated on direct appeal. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9543(a)(3). As noted, a claim has been previously litigated for purposes of the PCRA if the highest appellate court in which the petitioner was entitled to review as a matter of right has ruled on the merits of the issue. Id. at 9544(a)(2). See Ligons, 773 A.2d at 1238-39 (rejecting Appellant's claim that the prosecutor's closing argument in the penalty phase improperly interjected victim impact evidence into the case). To the extent that Appellant also raises an ineffectiveness claim arising from counsel's failure to object to the prosecutor's references to victim impact evidence, see Commonwealth v. Collins, 888 A.2d at 573 (holding that, for purposes of the PCRA's previous litigation bar, a Sixth Amendment claim of ineffectiveness raises an issue distinct issue from the underlying substantive claim), we find the ineffectiveness claim to lack arguable merit because the prosecutor's argument did not constitute victim impact evidence, but rather was a permissible response to Appellant's mitigation evidence. Appellant's second claim of prosecutorial misconduct is waived because it was not raised at trial. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9544(b). Further it was not presented in Appellant's PCRA petition. Appellant, however, additionally claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the prosecutor's argument to disregard the age mitigator and that PCRA counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge trial counsel's performance in his PCRA petition. As the issue of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness is properly framed pursuant to Hall, we shall determine whether there is any arguable merit to the claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness. In order to do so, we examine the underlying claim of prosecutorial misconduct. In considering a claim of prosecutorial misconduct, our inquiry is centered on whether the defendant was deprived of a fair trial, not deprived of a perfect trial. Commonwealth v. LaCava, 542 Pa. 160, 666 A.2d 221, 231 (1995) (citing Commonwealth v. Holloway, 524 Pa. 342, 572 A.2d 687, 693 (1990)). Thus, a prosecutor's remarks do not constitute reversible error unless their unavoidable effect was to prejudice the jury, forming in their minds fixed bias and hostility toward the defendant so that the jury could not weigh the evidence objectively and render a true verdict. Commonwealth v. Bond, 539 Pa. 299, 652 A.2d 308, 315 (1995). Further, the allegedly improper remarks must be viewed in light of the entire context of the closing argument as a whole. LaCava, 666 A.2d at 235. Here, Appellant submitted the age mitigator to the jury at the penalty phase and argued that his youth at the time of the murder militates against imposing the death sentence. N.T. 3/23/99 at 4, 86-87. [30] Appellant argues that the prosecutor, however, improperly told the jury to disregard the mitigating effect of Appellant's youth. The prosecutor stated: I submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, that the age of the Defendant at that time was not so young and that he was not so immature that age should be a factor. He wasn't fourteen or fifteen years old at the time. He was a man. He was nineteen years old. He was old enough to serve in the armed forces; old enough to vote; old enough to serve on a jury. N.T. 3/23/99, 82. Appellant contends that this argument violated the 8th and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution because it precluded the jury from considering his youth as mitigating evidence and distorted the meaning of the age mitigator. We disagree as the prosecutor did not inform the jury that it was precluded from considering Appellant's youth as mitigation evidence, but only that it should not do so under the facts presented. Viewed in the context of the closing argument as a whole, the prosecutor's comments were permissible as argument supporting the death penalty. See Commonwealth v. Hughes, 581 Pa. 274, 865 A.2d 761, 800 (2004) (prosecutor's argument that defendant's age should not be a determinative factor was permissible because it was in response to defense evidence and argument); Commonwealth v. Stokes, 576 Pa. 299, 839 A.2d 226, 233 (2003) (holding that it is not improper for the prosecution to ask the jury to reject defendant's age as a mitigating factor); Commonwealth v. Dennis, 552 Pa. 331, 715 A.2d 404, 415 (1998) (same). Moreover, the trial court specifically instructed the jury that it was to determine, based on the facts, whether the age mitigator applied. See N.T. 3/23/99 at 99-100 (the evidence is incontrovertible that [Appellant] was nineteen years of age at the time of the crime; accordingly, it is for you to determine from the facts whether or not [Appellant's] age constitutes a mitigating circumstance). Accordingly, the claim of prosecutorial misconduct is meritless and trial counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to raise it. Under these circumstances, Appellant's claim of PCRA counsel ineffectiveness fails. Pursell, 724 A.2d at 304.