Opinion ID: 2525572
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The argument was improper

Text: Applying these standards here, the first question we must decide is whether the district court correctly ruled defense counsel's argument out-of-bounds. If the district court's evidentiary rulings were wrong, the mistrial determination changes dramatically. See Benson v. State, 111 Nev. 692, 695, 895 P.2d 1323, 1326 (1995) (noting that the argument by defense counsel that led the district court to declare a mistrial and hold counsel in contempt was later deemed unobjectionable by this court, making it necessary to determine whether the defendant consented to the mistrial; without the defendant's consent, double jeopardy barred retrial). We review a district court's evidentiary rulings, Harkins v. State, 122 Nev. 974, 980, 143 P.3d 706, 709 (2006), and its rulings respecting the latitude allowed counsel in closing argument, Herring v. New York, 422 U.S. 853, 862, 95 S.Ct. 2550, 45 L.Ed.2d 593 (1975), for abuse of discretion.