Opinion ID: 453007
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Prosecutorial Expertise

Text: 112 The majority found improper the prosecutor's discussion of the infrequency with which attorneys in his office seek the death penalty, but the majority refused to find this discussion prejudicial because the subsequent comments of the prosecutor and defense counsel placed responsibility for the decision on the jury. I cannot be so sanguine about the ameliorative effect of later references to the jury's responsibility. As I have stressed on other occasions, see Brooks v. Kemp, supra, 762 F.2d at 1424 (Johnson, J., dissenting); Wm. Boyd Tucker v. Kemp, 762 F.2d 1480 (1985) (Johnson, J., concurring specially), this type of argument places the full weight of the prosecutor's office behind the suggestion that an appropriate sentencing decision has already been made by knowledgeable authorities. Formal reminders that the jury retains discretion to make the final decision cannot prevent such arguments from impairing the fundamental fairness of the proceeding.