Opinion ID: 3134275
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Ill 2d 19, 30 (1979)), and we believe the same is true of the prosecution's

Text: remark. The trial judge cured any prejudicial impact the comment may have had on the jury by sustaining the defendant's objection and ordering the comment stricken. People v. Enis, 163 Ill. 2d 367, 409 (1994). Defendant next argues that the prosecution misstated the evidence in his closing remarks when he told the jury that defendant had made a confession to a neighbor of the victims. At trial, Betty Gray testified that on March 4, 1984, at approximately 1:30 a.m., she was leaving Ruby Bea's apartment after Leola had been discovered dead, but before Aretha's body had been found. Gray was in the hallway when defendant charged up the stairs and asked where the individual was that killed the kids. Gray, who at that time was aware of only one child's death, asked defendant how he knew what had happened. Defendant did not respond and then left the building. On cross-examination, Gray stated that she did not know whether anyone had informed defendant that something had happened to the children. In his rebuttal argument at the close of the guilt-innocence phase of trail, the prosecutor referred to this comment as defendant's confession to Betty Gray. The court overruled defendant's objection to the comment. Defendant alleges that the prosecutor mischaracterized defendant's statement to Gray as a confession and thereby improperly limited the jury's consideration that defendant's knowledge of the murders could have come from another source. We agree with defendant that the prosecutor's description of defendant's statement to Betty Gray as a confession is inaccurate. A confession is a direct acknowledgment of guilt after the perpetration of an offense, and does not embrace mere statements or declarations of independent fact from which guilt may be inferred. People v. Stanton, 16 Ill. 2d 459, 466 (1959). Defendant's comments to Gray did not directly acknowledge his commission of the offenses; therefore, the prosecutor's characterization of the comment was incorrect. However, prosecutors are afforded wide latitude in closing argument and improper remarks will not merit reversal unless they result in substantial prejudice to the accused. People v. Thompkins, 121 Ill. 2d 401, 445 (1988). Here, defendant's statement to Gray, coupled with other evidence adduced at trial, allowed the reasonable inference that defendant possessed guilty knowledge of the offenses. This was but one phrase in the prosecution's lengthy closing argument. The jurors had heard Gray's testimony and could weigh the implications of defendant's statement to Gray themselves. Moreover, at the time of the prosecutor's remark, defendant's written statement confessing to the crimes already had been read to the jury. Therefore, we do not believe the prosecutor's mischaracterization of defendant's comment to Gray was so substantial that it prejudiced defendant and deprived him of a fair trial. In his final group of arguments pertaining to the guilt-innocence phase of trial, defendant complains of a number of comments made by the prosecution in summation and rebuttal. However, we need not consider the merits of defendant's arguments regarding these prosecutorial statements. Although the complained of closing remarks were raised in counsel's post-trial motion, defendant did not object to any of the challenged remarks at trial, and we therefore consider these issues waived. Mahaffey, 166 Ill. 2d 1, 27 (1995). We also believe that the complained-of remarks do not constitute plain error. As noted, the prosecution presented substantial evidence of defendant's guilt. Moreover, our review of the remarks indicates that none of the comments was of the magnitude that it would have deprived defendant of a fair trial. People v. Carlson, 79 Ill. 2d 564, 576-77 (1980). In his closing argument the prosecutor commented that the jurors should not let defendant's decision to represent himself enter into their verdict. He stated that defendant had a right to represent himself and that the jurors should not feel sorry for defendant if things didn't go exactly perfectly for him. The prosecutor continued: At any rate, he had each and every right that he had as a defendant. He did not lose any rights whatsoever as a defendant when he chose to represent himself. He retained those rights. In fact he gained rights. He had normal defendant's rights plus all the rights a lawyer had and was able to [sic] personally to question witnesses themselves and subpoena each and every witness he may want to and put anybody at all on the witness stand and elicit testimony about anything from anyone as long of course as he followed the Rules of Evidence that is relevant to this case. We do not agree with defendant's unsupported allegation that the jurors would have understood the preceding comments as diminishing the burden of proof or as suggesting that defendant bore the burden of proving his innocence. The prosecutor was urging the jurors not to allow defendant's pro se status to influence their verdict. The prosecutor was explaining that in contrast to defendants who have counsel represent them, defendant had been able to personally call and question witnesses. As we have stated, the evidence was not closely balanced and we do not believe that the prosecutor's brief statement regarding defendant's rights was of such a magnitude that it prejudiced the jury's deliberation and deprived defendant of a fair trial. Defendant further claims that the prosecutor erred when he told the jurors that if they found defendant guilty, they would have an opportunity to learn more about the defendant at the next stage of trial. The comment came at the end of the State's summation. The prosecutor stated that if the jury found the defendant guilty, the trial would proceed to the next stage where the jury would have opportunity to learn more from both sides. He then stated that if the jury did not find defendant guilty he would walk out the door. Construing the comment in context (People v. Cisewski, 118 Ill. 2d 163, 175-76 (1987)), we find no error. Earlier in the trial, during voir dire, the judge had informed the jury that if there was a finding of guilty in this case, a separate hearing would be held to determine if the death penalty should be imposed. The comments challenged here were the prosecutor's final plea to the jurors that they not allow the defendant to go free. The statement that the jurors would learn more if a guilty verdict was returned simply reminded the jurors that if they returned a guilty verdict, a penalty would be imposed, but a separate proceeding would be held to determine what that penalty would be. Finally, defendant challenges the prosecutor's statement during his rebuttal statement that it is not too often the People of the State of Illinois have a case with this much evidence. The prosecutor also stated that the State's burden was just proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The comment was made after defendant's closing argument where he urged the jury to find that the evidence was insufficient to convict him. The prosecutor's comment was a response to defendant's own comments, and therefore was not error. People v. Mahaffey, 128 Ill. 2d 388, 425 (1989).