Opinion ID: 1120029
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: display of trousers in closing argument

Text: Alexander also argues that prosecutorial misconduct occurred through the display of the victim's blood stained trousers to the jury during final argument. The trousers, which are the subject of this specification of error, had been previously admitted into evidence when the prosecutor began final summation. Alexander alleges that two prejudicial inferences were created by the prosecutor's use of the pants and because they remained draped over the jury rail through the reading of the jury instructions: that the blood was causally connected to the rape, and therefore corroborated the fact of sexual intercourse and that the act was accompanied by violence. The state argues that the display called the attention to the jury to tangible evidence that corroborated A.F.'s testimony against the defense of fabrication. Specifically, it is contended that the blood stain is evidence that A.F. spoke truthfully when she stated that Alexander forced her to remove her tampax in the car, thereby facilitating unchecked menstruation, which stained her pants. We note that Alexander made no contemporaneous objection to the display of the pants, although it was relied upon in a motion for a new trial. In McMaster v. State, 512 P.2d 879, 884 (Alaska 1973), we declined to entertain a specification of error relating to misconduct in the state's closing argument where no objection was made during the prosecutor's argument. [22] We recently reaffirmed the necessity of timely objection to alleged prosecutorial misconduct in Randall v. State, 583 P.2d 196, 200 (Alaska 1978). [23] By not objecting before the jury retired, Alexander was in a position to secure an acquittal or raise the point when it could not be corrected except by means of a new trial. Since the point was not properly preserved, the specification does not warrant reversal. We do not find plain error [24] in the trial court's failure to order removal of the pants. Though it may have been prejudicial, we conclude that it did not affect Alexander's substantial rights to the extent that he was denied a fair trial.