Opinion ID: 1441142
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Prosecutor's Opening Argument During the Penalty Phase

Text: Barnett argues that the prosecutor improperly stated her personal opinion during her opening argument during the penalty phase of the trial. Our review of this issue is also governed by 28 U.S.C. § 2254, as discussed above. Improper remarks by the prosecutor can violate the Fourteenth Amendment if they so infected the trial with unfairness as to make the resulting conviction a denial of due process. Donnelly v. DeChristoforo, 416 U.S. 637, 643, 94 S.Ct. 1868, 40 L.Ed.2d 431 (1974). The court should only grant habeas corpus relief if the state's `closing argument was so inflammatory and so outrageous that any reasonable trial judge would have sua sponte declared a mistrial.' Weaver v. Bowersox, 438 F.3d 832, 840 (8th Cir. 2006), cert. dismissed sub nom Roper v. Weaver, ___ U.S. ___, 127 S.Ct. 2022, 167 L.Ed.2d 966 (2007), (quoting James v. Bowersox, 187 F.3d 866, 869 (8th Cir. 1999)). Relief will be granted only upon a showing of a reasonable probability that the outcome would have been different but for the improper statement. Shurn v. Delo, 177 F.3d 662, 667 (8th Cir.1999). The prosecutor in Barnett's case stated: The judge read to you the instructions about the aggravating circumstances. And I think you'll find that the very nature of the crime itself constitutes the aggravating circumstances that you are to consider. I submit to you that those have already been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The decisions that are left for you to make are whether you believe that those murders warrant the imposition of the death penalty. And if those don't, I don't know what does. Add. 119 (emphasis added). Barnett's contemporaneous objection was later forfeited, so the Missouri Supreme Court reviewed the challenged statement for plain error and found none. The district court thought the statement improper, but found that the Missouri Supreme Court had not unreasonably applied federal law. Barnett contends that under Weaver, Shurn, and Newlon v. Armontrout, 885 F.2d 1328 (8th Cir.1989), the prosecutor's statement mandates a new penalty phase trial. In Newlon, the prosecutor (1) expressed his personal belief in the propriety of the death sentence and implied that he had special knowledge outside the record; (2) emphasized his position of authority as prosecuting attorney of St. Louis County; (3) attempted to link petitioner with several well-known mass murderers; (4) appealed to the jurors' personal fears and emotions; and (5) asked the jurors to kill him now. Kill him now. 885 F.2d at 1335. In Shurn, the prosecutor made arguments nearly identical to those made in Newlon. Shurn, 177 F.3d at 665-66. The improper statements made in Weaver can be placed into five categories: (1) an analogy that the role of a juror is like that of a soldier who must do his or her duty and have the courage to kill; (2) statements by the prosecutor about his personal belief in the death penalty; (3) statements that executing Weaver was necessary to sustain a societal effort as part of the war on drugs; (4) assertions that the prosecutor had a special position of authority and decided whether to seek the death penalty; and (5) arguments that were designed to appeal to the emotions of the jury (culminating in a statement that the jury should kill [Weaver] now). 438 F.3d at 840. Although in each of these cases statements of personal belief about the applicability of the death penalty were made, the prosecutors also made a number of additional improper statements, including commands that the jury kill [the defendant] now and assertions of special authority over the circumstances in which the death penalty should be applied. We conclude that the complained-of comment made by Barnett's prosecutor does not compare in polemical stridency with those described above and was not so outrageous or prejudicial as to warrant a sua sponte declaration by the trial court of a mistrial, nor did it inject such unfairness into the penalty phase that Barnett was denied due process of law. Accordingly, the district court did not err in ruling that the Missouri Supreme Court's decision rejecting Barnett's challenge to the argument was neither contrary to nor an unreasonable application of federal law.