Opinion ID: 707605
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Complaints of the Prosecutor's Jury Argument

Text: 62 Nichols complains of various instances of allegedly improper argument by the prosecution, mostly at sentencing, asserting that he was thereby denied a fair trial and deprived of due process of law. We reject this contention, and find no error in the district court's denial of relief in this connection. 63 Where improper prosecutorial argument is asserted as a basis for habeas relief,  'it is not enough that the prosecutors' remarks were undesirable or even universally condemned,'  rather [t]he relevant question is whether the prosecutors' comments 'so infected the trial with unfairness as to make the resulting conviction a denial of due process.'  Darden v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 168, 181, 106 S.Ct. 2464, 2471, 91 L.Ed.2d 144 (1986). In order to constitute a denial of due process  'the acts complained of must be of such quality as necessarily prevent a fair trial,'  Derden, 978 F.2d at 1457. Moreover, the burden is on the habeas petitioner to also show a reasonable probability that but for these remarks the result would have been different. See Felde v. Blackburn, 795 F.2d 400, 403 (5th Cir.1986). Further, failure to object to an argument--wholly apart from questions of procedural bar--is an indication that it was not perceived as having a substantial adverse effect, Derden at 1458, or would not naturally and necessarily be understood as advancing improper considerations. Milton v. Procunier, 744 F.2d 1091, 1095 (5th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1030, 105 S.Ct. 2050, 85 L.Ed.2d 323 (1985). See also Lowenfield, 484 U.S. at 241, 108 S.Ct. at 552. 64 We now turn to the specific instances complained of by Nichols. 65 (i) Nichols initially complains that in argument at the punishment stage the prosecutor improperly injected religion. No objection was made to this argument, and on direct appeal the Court of Criminal Appeals held that complaint in this respect was accordingly waived. Nichols, 754 S.W.2d at 199-200. The same holding was made on the state habeas (together with the alternative holding that on the merits relief was not warranted). No cause being shown for the failure to object, the claim is procedurally barred under the principles of Wainwright v. Sykes and Engle v. Isaac and their progeny. See Andrews v. Collins, 21 F.3d 612, 628 (5th Cir.1994), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 908, 130 L.Ed.2d 790 (1995). 44 66 Moreover, the claim is lacking in merit even if it were not barred. At the punishment stage the defense introduced testimony of a priest who, at Nichols' request, visited him several times while he was in jail awaiting trial. The priest testified on direct that he had first met Nichols ten years earlier, but had never visited in his home or seen him at church, that while in jail Nichols' attitude changed from one of depression to remorse and contrition, and that if given a chance Nichols could become a constructive citizen. On cross, he admitted that he did not know what Nichols was doing in the some ten years after he first met him and when he saw him in jail. The defense, near the end of its punishment argument, called attention to the priest's testimony. The now complained of prosecution argument 45 was in response. The natural understanding of the thrust of this argument is that the jury could reasonably infer that the priest did not really know Nichols and that Nichols' supposed change to remorse and contrition was not genuine. Such a contention is essentially proper. There is absolutely no reasonable likelihood that these brief passages of argument (or anything else in the trial) created a meaningful risk that the jury verdict was to any extent based on Nichols' religious beliefs (or lack thereof, or on any inference in that regard from the priest's failure to testify in regard thereto). 67 (ii) Complaint is also made of prosecution arguments at sentencing concerning the victim's character, which are also asserted to have been outside the record. Again, there was no objection to these arguments, and the state habeas court held them for that reason barred (and, alternatively, not to justify relief on the merits). This claim is hence foreclosed by the procedural bar. 68 It also fails on the merits. The prosecutor's reference to the grief and loss of the victim's family and his asking the jury to consider the victim were essentially within the range of argument held not to offend the Eighth Amendment in Payne v. Tennessee, 501 U.S. 808, 111 S.Ct. 2597, 115 L.Ed.2d 720 (1991). This is also the case with respect to the brief reference to Shaffer's employment and being killed while at work. There was no argument (or evidence) as to opinions of the victim's family about the crime, the defendant, and the appropriate sentence. Id. 501 U.S. at 833, 111 S.Ct. at 2612 (O'Connor, J., concurring). There was nothing so inflammatory about the argument as to render the entire sentencing proceeding unfair. Id. at 831-33, 111 S.Ct. at 2612 (O'Connor, J., concurring), at 835-36, 111 S.Ct. at 2614 (Souter, J., concurring). Moreover--and also dispositive of the contention that the argument went beyond the evidence 46 --defense counsel in his argument had already raised these matters, arguing that my heart goes out to his [Shaffer's] family and [t]hey [Shaffer's family] have had a terrible tragedy in their family. 47 Defense counsel further argued I doubt very seriously if the Shaffer family would get any satisfaction from imposition of the death sentence on Nichols, and stated I feel for them but taking Joe's life is not going to help them a bit but could hurt a lot of other folks. Defense counsel also referred in this connection to the testimony of a defense sentencing witness who stated he was willing to do whatever it takes (or whatever needs to be done) for Shaffer. Suffering by the Shaffer family was a premise the defense had already explicitly raised and accepted in its sentencing phase argument. The prosecutor reminded the jury to look solely at the evidence and not cry for either side. There was no deprivation of due process or fundamental unfairness in the prosecution's response. 48 69 (iii) Nichols next complains of two prosecutorial arguments at the guilt/innocence stage of the trial which he contends were incorrect statements of the legal principles applicable. No objection was made to either argument at trial, on direct appeal, or in the state habeas proceedings. It is clear that the Texas contemporaneous objection rule would bar relief in state court, and the claims are accordingly procedurally barred on federal habeas. Teague, 489 U.S. at 297-300, 109 S.Ct. at 1068-69. See also Weaver v. McKaskle, 733 F.2d 1103, 1104-5 (5th Cir.1984); Marks v. Estelle, 691 F.2d 730, 734-35 (5th Cir.1982). Cf. Bates v. Blackburn, 805 F.2d 569, 574-75 (5th Cir.1986); Webb v. Blackburn, 773 F.2d 646, 650-651 (5th Cir.1986). We also note that these claims were not raised in the federal habeas petition below, and, although the arguments were quoted in Nichols' post-evidentiary hearing brief below, Nichols never sought to amend his petition and these particular claims were not addressed by the district court. See United States v. Smith, 915 F.2d 959, 964 (5th Cir.1990). 70 In any event, these claims have no merit. The first complained of argument 49 was a proper plea to the jury to use its common sense in evaluating the defense's contentions as to what had actually happened. See Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78, 100, 90 S.Ct. 1893, 1905, 26 L.Ed.2d 446 (1970) (jury trial calls for the commonsense judgment of a group of laymen). Nichols' appellant's brief does not explain why he thinks this argument was improper nor cite any supporting authority. We note that the prosecutor had explained at length to the jury that they were obligated to follow the court's charge, as did the charge itself. This contention is frivolous. The second challenged argument 50 was in substance a correct statement of the law that, under the charge, Nichols could only be found guilty of capital murder or of murder, or found not guilty. Moreover, defense counsel did not request a charge on any form of robbery as a lesser included offense, and no such charge was given. Yet defense counsel had argued that Nichols was guilty of aggravated robbery. 51 The state's argument was a proper response and a correct statement of the law. Nichols cites no authority in support of his contention. We reject it as frivolous. 71 (iv) The next complained of argument is the state's reference at sentencing to Nichols' having been indicted for the unadjudicated offenses, evidence of which had been put before the jury. 52 On direct appeal this argument was challenged as being outside the record (here it is challenged only as an improper inference of guilt from an indictment), and the Court of Criminal Appeals held that the contention was barred because no trial objection to the argument had been made. Nichols, 754 S.W.2d at 199-200. Hence this claim is procedurally barred. Moreover, although this argument of the prosecutor was presented in Nichols' post-evidentiary hearing brief below, 53 it was never included in his federal habeas petition or addressed by the district court. 72 In any event, the claim is without merit. The argument was in response to defense counsel's argument criticizing the state for not having taken action on the unadjudicated offenses, arguing there has been no action taken by any other group of individuals or by the state. 54 The state responded that another group of individuals had acted, by indictment. Moreover, defense counsel had previously expressly acknowledged in argument that Nichols had been charged with attempted escape. The evidence as to the other unadjudicated offenses--the August 13 and October 11, 1980, armed robberies--was undisputed, and substantial evidence was presented as to the planned escape. There is no reasonable likelihood that the jury was improperly influenced by this passing rebuttal remark of the prosecution. 55 73 (v) Three other prosecutorial arguments, two at the guilt/innocence stage and one at sentencing, are attacked as having improperly struck at Nichols over the shoulders of his trial counsel. 56 Apart from this general and uninformative characterization, Nichols' appellant's brief does not explain the basis for the challenge and contains no supporting argument. The complaint is not adequately presented for review. Fed.R.App.P. 28(a)(6); United States v. Beaumont, 972 F.2d 553, 563 (5th Cir.1992). Nor was it in the district court. 57 In any event, the complaints present no basis for relief. To begin with, no objection was made at trial (or on appeal) to these arguments (and they were not a grounds of complaint in the state habeas). They are hence procedurally barred. Even if they were not, the present no basis for relief. The brief references at the guilt/innocence stage to the door game and physical evidence caught them are nothing more than argument that the inferences as to what happened urged by defense counsel were not consistent with the physical evidence. The sentencing argument referred to the fact that at the guilt/innocence stage defense counsel argued that Williams fired the fatal shot from the door as he went back in, while at sentencing defense counsel appeared to argue that Williams fired the fatal shot from in front of the counter. And, the prosecution's argument was in response to defense counsel's criticism of the prosecution for its asserted inconsistency in the Williams and Nichols cases. 58 These unobjected to prosecution arguments did not deprive Nichols of due process or deny him a fair trial or sentencing, and there is no reasonable likelihood that they caused the verdict to be to any extent improperly based. 74 (vi) Quoting a single sentence from the state's argument at each phase of his trial, Nichols asserts that each improperly injected the personal beliefs of the prosecutor into its argument. 75 Nichols' appellant's brief makes no argument in support of this assertion, and the complained of sentences are not mentioned in his federal habeas petition or in the district court's opinion. Assuming the matter is properly before us, it is procedurally barred as no objection was made at trial (or on appeal) to either argument (and neither was raised as a ground for relief in the state habeas proceeding). 76 In any event, neither argument presents a basis for relief on the merits. The first statement Nichols challenged was made by the prosecutor during the punishment phase of the trial. Referring to James Paul Martin, an inmate at the Harris County Jail who testified that he and Nichols had been involved in an escape plot while in jail, the prosecutor stated: I wouldn't come to court to you and say convict a man on the word of a criminal without corroboration. Although a prosecutor may not express his personal opinion as to the credibility of witnesses, or his own belief regarding a defendant's guilt, United States v. Walker, 613 F.2d 1349, 1355 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 944, 100 S.Ct. 2172, 64 L.Ed.2d 800 (1980), he may properly comment on the weight of the evidence. See Casel, 995 F.2d at 1309. Here, it is clear from the context in which the statement was made that the prosecutor was not expressing his personal opinion about the credibility of Martin. Rather, he was directing the jury to look to other evidence that supported Martin's testimony, which, because it was the testimony of a convicted felon, would be suspect standing alone. 59 This type of argument is permissible to the extent that it draws a conclusion based solely on the evidence presented. Id. (citing United States v. Enstam, 622 F.2d 857, 869 (5th Cir.1980), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 912, 101 S.Ct. 1351, 67 L.Ed.2d 336 (1981); United States v. Bright, 630 F.2d 804, 824 (5th Cir.1980), and United States v. Binker, 795 F.2d 1218, 1223 (5th Cir.1986)). Such is the case here. 77 The second statement which Nichols objects to was made during the state's argument at the close of the guilt/innocence phase of the trial. In arguing that Nichols fired the shot that killed Shaffer, the prosecutor stated: And I'll tell you it was his hand that did the killing. Once again, however, Nichols gives an incomplete picture. Immediately after the prosecutor made the above-quoted statement, he asked How do you know that? and then proceeded to summarize the evidence presented at trial which would tend to support the theory that Nichols fired the fatal shot. In United States v. Morris, 568 F.2d 396 (5th Cir.1978), this Court explained that a prosecutor may state his own opinion or knowledge of the case as long as he makes it clear that the conclusions he is urging are conclusions to be drawn from the evidence. Id. at 401. Here, the prosecutor argued the admitted evidence in support of the challenged statement. Hence, in the context of the prosecution's argument the statement was not improper. 78 (vii) Lastly, Nichols asserts that at sentencing the prosecution improperly commented on Nichols' failure to call witnesses or present evidence. Again, without citation to authority or meaningful argument, Nichols quotes four sentences which he contends are thus improper. First, during the state's argument at the end of the punishment phase of the trial, the prosecutor stated: 79 Why is it that not one, not one employer except a family friend, Mr. Creal, came and sat here and told you what a nice worker he was. Not one. Not even a co-worker came here to verify to you that he actually worked or that he was a good worker, not one. 80 Later, the prosecutor commented that Not one employer, not one co-worker, not one school mate, not one neighbor has come here. 81 Again, these portions of the argument were not complained of in Nichols' federal habeas petition. Moreover, they are procedurally barred. No objection was made at trial (or on appeal) to the first argument (and it was not raised as a ground for relief in the state habeas proceedings). The second argument was objected to at trial on the ground it was not a correct statement of the evidence. 60 On direct appeal, Nichols complained that the statement was improper as comment on his failure to call punishment witnesses, and the Court of Criminal Appeals held that [b]ecause the challenge on appeal does not comport with the objection at trial, nothing is presented for review. Nichols, 754 S.W.2d at 200. 61 82 At all events, the claims lack merit. As a matter of Texas law, the prosecutor may comment on the defendant's failure to call a material witness, and he may draw an inference from that failure that the testimony would have been unfavorable. O'Bryan v. Estelle, 714 F.2d 365, 388 (5th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1013, 104 S.Ct. 1015, 79 L.Ed.2d 245 (1984); see also O'Bryan v. State, 591 S.W.2d 464, 479 (Tex.Crim.App.1979) (en banc), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 988, 100 S.Ct. 2975, 64 L.Ed.2d 846 (1980). Moreover, in federal trials, although a party's failure to call a witness equally available to both sides may not be properly commented on, if the defendant fails to call a witness peculiarly within his control, the prosecutor may properly comment on that failure. United States v. MMR Corp., 907 F.2d 489, 501-02 (5th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 499 U.S. 936, 111 S.Ct. 1388, 113 L.Ed.2d 445 (1991). That the potential witness is ... accessible to service of subpoena by the court does not make the witness equally available to both parties. Id. at 502. The relationship of the witness to a party may make him or her more available to that party. Id. Such is the case sub judice. Here, the prosecutor was commenting on Nichols' failure to call certain types of witnesses during the punishment phase to establish mitigating circumstances. These types of witnesses are generally more available to the defense. And, because the option of producing and coming forward with mitigating circumstances is upon the capital defendant, O'Bryan, 591 S.W.2d at 479, they are more likely to be called by the defense. The prosecutor's brief comment on Nichols' failure to call certain types of good character witnesses was not clearly improper; certainly it did not render the sentencing fundamentally unfair or deprive Nichols of due process. 83 Nichols asks that we view all the complained of prosecution arguments together. However, even when all are viewed cumulatively--and even without considering that counsel did not think the vast majority of them worth complaining of at trial, or on appeal, or in any of the lengthy and frequently amended state habeas petitions, or, for the most part, in the federal petition--it is entirely clear to us that they did not operate to deprive Nichols of a fundamentally fair trial at any stage of the proceedings or to deny him due process, and that there is no reasonable likelihood that the jury's verdict at either stage was improperly affected thereby.