Opinion ID: 567448
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motion for New Trial for Prosecutorial Misconduct

Text: 42 Joseph Bickett alleges that the United States committed prosecutorial misconduct by providing Haskell's sworn statement to him while he was still on direct examination. Defendant asserts that the standard announced in Donnelly v. DeChristoforo, 416 U.S. 637 (1974), should be applied to the instant case. In Donnelly, the court held that to reverse a conviction based upon prosecutorial misconduct, the misconduct must be sufficiently prejudicial in the context of the entire trial to violate the defendant's due process rights. Defendant claims he was prejudiced because Haskell was able to correct his previous day's testimony in support of the government's case. Defendant points to this act as yet another example of the prosecution's effort, prevalent throughout the trial, to facilitate witnesses' tailoring of their testimony. 43 The United States argues that a court should not reverse a conviction on grounds of prosecutorial misconduct unless the resulting prejudice permeates the entire trial. See United States v. Morrow, 923 F.2d 427, 432 (6th Cir.1991) (citing United States v. Terry, 729 F.2d 1063, 1070 (6th Cir.1984)). The government asserts that defendant has failed to show any resulting prejudice from Haskell's review of his own prior statement. The United States notes that Haskell did not receive any new information, but merely reviewed his previous statement. Moreover, since his review of the statement was addressed during cross-examination, the jury was aware of the incident and was able appropriately to weigh the evidence in their deliberations. 44 We uphold the district court's ruling that Haskell's review of his prior statement constituted harmless error. This circuit has held that to warrant a new trial, ... prosecutorial misconduct must be so pronounced and persistent that it permeates the entire atmosphere of the trial. United States v. Frost, 914 F.2d 756, 768 (6th Cir.1990). The district court exercised its discretion properly in finding that the prosecutorial misconduct complained of here was not so pronounced or persistent that it permeated the entire trial atmosphere. Haskell was but one of three chief witnesses for the prosecution. Moreover, the jury was apprised of Haskell's review of his prior statement, and was able to weigh that factor appropriately in considering all the evidence at trial.