Opinion ID: 1152979
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Rebuttal penalty phase argument

Text: Lisle contends that the prosecutor improperly suggested to the jury that it align itself with the prosecution by referring to we and us. For the most part, the prosecutor's use of we and us is rhetorical, and therefore not improper. However, the statement, There is only one human being in this world that causes us to be here today doing this terrible thing we have to do. And his name is Kevin Lisle, improperly suggests that the jury is aligned with the prosecution. Lisle contends that the prosecutor improperly told the jury that it must be accountable and do the right thing. In Domingues v. State, 112 Nev. 683, 917 P.2d 1364 (1996), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 117 S.Ct. 396, 136 L.Ed.2d 311 (1996) (No. 96-5797), the prosecutor stated, This is the time for accountability and responsibility. Death is the only appropriate sentence in this case. Anything less is disrespectful to the dead and irresponsible to the living. Id. at 698, 917 P.2d at 1375. This court held that this statement did not amount to prosecutorial misconduct. Id. Similarly, here, we conclude that the prosecutor's remarks to the jury concerning accountability do not constitute prosecutorial misconduct. We conclude that several of the prosecutor's remarks were improper, but we further conclude that none was patently prejudicial and none would have affected the jury verdict.