Opinion ID: 1405581
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Dickens and Duzan

Text: ¶ 28 Unfortunately, two recent cases refused to recognize the cumulative error doctrine while denying a claim of prosecutorial misconduct. See State v. Dickens, 187 Ariz. at 21, 926 P.2d at 488; State v. Duzan, 176 Ariz. 463, 466, 862 P.2d 223, 226 (App.1993). The result was plainly correct in each case, but the analysis was partly incorrect because we do recognize the cumulative effect of prosecutorial misconduct. Perhaps the general rule was misapplied in Dickens and Duzan because neither appeal raised a strong permeates the atmosphere claim. The appeal in Dickens complained of seven instances of prosecutorial misconduct, but objection to six of them was waived by failure to object at trial. Id. at 20, 926 P.2d at 487. We found no error in the claim that was preserved and no fundamental error in those that were waived. See id. at 21, 926 P.2d at 488. ¶ 29 In Duzan, the court stated, We note preliminarily that the doctrine of cumulative error is not recognized in Arizona ... absent related errors. Id. at 466, 862 P.2d at 226 (citations omitted). Although multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct are, in fact, related errors in a permeates the atmosphere claim, the Duzan defendant had a very weak claim in that regard; he alleged three instances of misconduct on appeal, but two of them were waived and were not fundamental error, and the third was not error at all. See id. at 466-68, 862 P.2d at 226-28. ¶ 30 State v. Floyd, 120 Ariz. 358, 586 P.2d 203 (App.1978), involved a prosecutorial misconduct claim that was as weak as those in Dickens and Duzan, but Floyd implicitly recognized the cumulative error doctrine while denying the claim, as follows: Ultimately, citing State v. Filipov, 118 Ariz. 319, 576 P.2d 507 (App.1978), and State v. Woodward, 21 Ariz.App. 133, 516 P.2d 589 (1973), appellant urges that the cumulative effect of the prosecutor's statements requires reversal if the statements individually do not. We find no impropriety approaching the level in the cited cases. Id. at 362, 586 P.2d at 207. The level of prosecutorial impropriety in Dickens and Duzan was similar to that in Floyd and warranted the same result, but the Floyd analysis was more precise.