Opinion ID: 1816637
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: the prosecution improperly interrupted defense counsel's closing argument with the prejudicial objection, and said prejudice was then amplified by the trial court's ruling.

Text: The defendant asserts as his final assignment of error that the prosecution improperly interrupted defense counsel's closing argument, and that the court implied that defense counsel misrepresented facts in evidence. During defense counsel's closing argument, the following exchange occurred: BY MR. WILSON (defense): What's really interesting about this case is the proof that didn't show up. You heard Captain Mills testify that they took fingerprints samples from Ken Dennis. They took hair samples from Ken Dennis. They took clothing... . BY MR. ROBERTS (prosecution): Objection, Your Honor, that's not what he testified to. That's outside the scope of his testimony. BY MR. WILSON (defense): Your Honor, on yesterday, he testified to that. BY THE COURT: Ladies and gentlemen, the attorneys will not intentionally try to mislead you. If you remember things differently from the attorneys, then your memory and recollection prevails... . This Court finds that the comment by the trial judge fails to constitute a comment upon the weight of the evidence. Weaver v. State, 497 So.2d 1089, 1094, 1096 (Miss. 1986). Rather, this comment falls within the scope of comments which the trial judge was privileged to make. Id. See also Wetz v. State, 503 So.2d 803, 810, 813 (Miss. 1987) (where an objection is sustained and the jury is admonished to disregard the question, this Court will not find reversible error). Moreover, it is the duty of the trial counsel to promptly make objections and to insist upon a ruling by a trial judge if he deems opposing counsel to be overstepping the wide range of authorized argument. Johnson v. State, 477 So.2d 196, 209-10 (Miss. 1985), cert. denied, 476 U.S. 1109, 106 S.Ct. 1958, 90 L.Ed.2d 366, reh'g denied, 476 U.S. 1189, 106 S.Ct. 2930, 91 L.Ed.2d 557 (1986). See also Wideman v. State, 339 So.2d 1378, 1382 (Miss. 1976) (trial court found that statements made by the prosecuting attorney were improper and admonished prosecuting attorney of dangers of reversal in going outside the record in arguing. However, the Court did not find the remarks to constitute reversible error). The case of Craft v. State, 226 Miss. 426, 84 So.2d 531 (1956), stated that the test to determine whether an improper argument required reversal was whether the argument created prejudice against the accused, resulting in a decision influenced by prejudice. In this case no such prejudice resulted, and this assignment of error is therefore without merit. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN and ANDERSON, JJ., concur. PITTMAN, J., not participating.