Opinion ID: 1041512
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Object to

Text: “Murder” Reference During the State’s cross-examination of Morgan, the prosecutor asked the following question: “And you maintained that relationship from that point until May 13th, the time of the murder?” Defense counsel did not object. Morgan argues, “In such a context it was presumptuous, inflammatory[,] and conclusory and invaded the province of the jury to decide if it was [m]urder, [m]anslaughter, or self defense.”19 [15] Morgan cannot establish prejudice by counsel’s failure to object, because the jury was instructed that statements or questions by the attorneys are not evidence. Instruction No. 1 stated in part that “what the attorneys say is not evidence.” Instruction No. 5 provided a list of things that are not evidence, the first of which was “[s]tatements, arguments, and questions of the lawyers for the parties in this case.” Absent 19 Brief for appellant at 27. Nebraska Advance Sheets 566 286 NEBRASKA REPORTS evidence to the contrary, it is presumed that a jury followed the instructions given in arriving at its verdict.20 Because we must presume that the jury followed the instructions and did not treat counsel’s fleeting reference to “murder” as evidence, Morgan cannot demonstrate a reasonable probability that the result of the proceeding would have been different if counsel had objected.