Opinion ID: 1389514
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Was There Prosecutorial Misconduct Requiring A New Trial?

Text: Defendant alleges three instances of prosecutorial misconduct  twice during the cross-examination of defendant, and once during the prosecutor's closing argument. Defendant urges that the total effect of the three incidents make a compelling case for reversal and states that it is impossible to conclude that the matters complained of here did not have a profound effect on the jury. In addition, defendant urges that the need to discourage and condemn such prosecutorial misconduct requires us to grant a new trial. The first instance cited is the prosecutor's cross-examination of defendant about avowals of proof made by defense counsel in opening statement. In questioning defendant, the prosecutor misstated remarks made by defense counsel in opening statement. [5] Objection was made to this line of questioning, but the trial court overruled the objection, allowing the questions. We believe the questions were improper. Opening statements are not evidence. The attorney's statements were only his avowals of proof. Of course, the subject matter of such avowals are ordinarily proper subjects of cross-examination, which may be designed to emphasize that defendant's testimony is inconsistent with his attorney's avowal of proof on opening statement. However, discrepancies between counsel's avowals of proof and defendant's later testimony or other evidence are matters appropriate for argument, not for cross-examination. Pool v. Superior Court, 139 Ariz. 98, 102, 677 P.2d 261, 265 (1984). Similarly, attempts to clarify counsel's avowals by cross-examination of a witness are improper. Such questions tend to permit the witness to speculate and put himself in a bad light. If there is any question regarding the contents of opening statement, it should be addressed to the court reporter and not to the witness. The court erred in overruling the objection to the questions. Defendant argues this error was serious enough to warrant reversal; we do not agree that the error was prejudicial. Defendant next complains of the portion of the prosecutor's questioning which related to defendant's examination by two psychiatrists earlier in the case. The psychiatrists had examined defendant as part of the earlier competency proceedings under Rule 11, Ariz.R. of Crim.Proc., 17A A.R.S. Defendant claimed that the questions propounded about the psychiatric examinations violated Rule 11.7(a), which precludes admission, at any proceeding to determine guilt or innocence, of evidence of any kind obtained under [the Rule 11] proceedings unless the defendant has introduced evidence intended to rebut the presumption of sanity. Rule 11.7(a), Ariz.R. of Crim.Proc. 17A A.R.S. Defendant objected to the questions which pertained to his examination by the psychiatrists, the names of the psychiatrists and the dates of these examinations. At the bench conference which ensued, the prosecutor argued that since defendant had earlier introduced evidence designed to show his low intelligence, [6] the prosecution was entitled to introduce evidence of intelligence in order to rebut the defendant's evidence, and that the questions which pertained to the psychiatric examinations as part of the Rule 11 proceedings were merely preliminary to a later offer of evidence from the psychiatrists who presumably had tested defendant's intelligence level. Defendant moved for a mistrial; the court denied the motion. After hearing arguments at a bench conference, the trial judge precluded the prosecution from calling the psychiatrists. Thus, the jury heard nothing more than a suggestion, by question, that the defendant had been examined by two psychiatrists at an earlier stage of the case. We note, therefore, that the literal wording of Rule 11.7(a) was observed since no evidence obtained at the Rule 11 proceedings was admitted. Assuming, arguendo, that even the mention of psychiatric examinations at an unspecified, earlier stage of the case also violates Rule 11.7(a), we do not feel that the mere mention of the previous psychiatric examinations rises to the level of prejudicial error. The most egregious error complained of occurred in the prosecution's closing argument. In response to a portion of argument in which defense counsel had attempted to discredit Lange and the state's case by questioning the plea agreement by which the state had agreed to prosecute Lange only for theft, the prosecutor told the jury that he had good reasons for offering the plea agreement. He went on to invite the jurors to talk to him after the trial about his reasons so that they could learn what he could not tell them during the trial. Remember one thing, at no time during the trial have I ever given you my reasons for offering Jeff Lange this plea agreement and I will not because I can't. If you want to know why I offered Jeff the plea agreement, ask me outside the court because the only relevance of this plea agreement which he has marked and flashed in front of you is whether that plea offer would make Jeff testify falsely, and if we look at it, it is all irrelevant because he stood up here a minute ago and he told you with the exception of a few minor little details, his testimony here, the additional things that he said Jeff had to say to get the plea agreement was the same as what he told the officers. We have long recognized that wide latitude is given in closing argument, and that counsel may comment on and argue all inferences which can reasonably be drawn from the evidence adduced at trial. State v. Zaragoza, 135 Ariz. 63, 659 P.2d 22, cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 103 S.Ct. 3097, 77 L.Ed.2d 1356 (1983); State v. Mincey, 130 Ariz. 389, 636 P.2d 637 (1981); cert. denied, 455 U.S. 1003, 102 S.Ct. 1638, 71 L.Ed.2d 871 (1982); State v. Gonzales, 105 Ariz. 434, 466 P.2d 388 (1970). However, such argument must not be based on matters which were not or could not have been received in evidence. See State v. Zaragoza, supra ; State v. Bailey, 132 Ariz. 472, 478, 647 P.2d 170, 175 (1982); State v. Neil, 102 Ariz. 299, 300, 428 P.2d 676, 677 (1967). The argument in question was patently improper. It invited the jury to speculate about matters which had not been introduced in evidence and, even worse, those which could not have been introduced in evidence. By reassuring the jurors' doubts about the evidence through inviting conversation after the trial, the prosecutor improperly vouched his integrity and honesty. This was a serious act of misconduct. United States v. Roberts, 618 F.2d 530, 533-534 (9th Cir.1980); United States v. Garza, 608 F.2d 659, 663-665 (5th Cir.1979); see also Berger v. United States, 295 U.S. 78, 88, 55 S.Ct. 629, 633, 79 L.Ed. 1314 (1935) (prosecutor has a special obligation to avoid improper suggestions and insinuations, especially assertions of personal knowledge). The state now attempts to justify the argument by urging that it was invited error. It claims that defense counsel, in final argument, had invited the jury to speculate that the prosecution itself had no real belief in the truth of defendant's confession and had, therefore, made a deal with Lange to testify and give him a walk. Defense counsel had argued that it was fair to infer from the evidence of the deal with Lange that the state must have had some doubt of the truth of the defendant's confession. This argument, too, was improper because it asked the jury to infer that the prosecutor himself doubted the veracity of the confession. We agree that the prosecutor's personal belief in the veracity of defendant's confession is not relevant and should not have been argued by defendant. The state should have objected to that portion of the argument, but did not. The invited error doctrine applies to situations where evidence adduced or comments made by one party make otherwise irrelevant evidence highly relevant or require some response or rebuttal. Pool v. Superior Court, supra, 139 Ariz. at 103, 677 P.2d at 266. It does not, however, make personal views of counsel an appropriate subject for argument and rebuttal. The issue of counsel's personal beliefs may have become relevant and require some response. The proper remedy for such a serious error, however, is objection, motion to strike, and an instruction that the issue is irrelevant and that the jury should disregard the improper comment. The remedy is not a response assuring the jury of the personal beliefs and integrity of the prosecutor. Further, even where the invited error doctrine is applicable to make an otherwise improper or irrelevant subject a proper area of comment, nothing justifies vouching by going outside the record and assuring the jury that there are facts, known to counsel, not admissible in evidence, which will rebut the comments made by the opponent. We follow a rule of trial by law and evidence, not by avowal of counsel. We hold, therefore, that the prosecutor's improper comments cannot be justified under the invited error doctrine. Defendant made no objection to the argument. At the end of final argument the defense moved for a mistrial which the trial judge denied. The defense did not request the court to instruct the jury to disregard the improper portion of the prosecutor's argument. Defendant now claims that the court erred in denying the motion for mistrial. Motions for mistrial on the grounds of misconduct of counsel are addressed to the discretion of the trial court, which will not be disturbed on appeal unless plainly abused. State v. Robles, 135 Ariz. 92, 94, 659 P.2d 645, 647 (1983). However, in capital cases, this court will carefully consider such improprieties and will reverse if, based on the circumstances of the particular case, there is any doubt over whether the misconduct influenced the jury. State v. Bailey, supra . We think it would have been better had the trial court interrupted the argument sua sponte, ordered the offending portion stricken from the record, and instructed the jury to disregard it. We base this on the serious nature of the impropriety rather than on the probability of improper influence. In essence, the argument called the jury's attention to the fact that the state had some reason, which it thought valid, to give Lange the benefit of such a plea bargain in return for his testimony. In light of the extensive cross-examination of Lange on that subject, the jury could hardly have been surprised by the injection of the issue and no doubt had already formed their own views as to why the deal was made and what effect it might have had upon Lange's testimony. Acknowledging that the state's case was not weak, defendant argues that the improper comment in final argument, added to the improper injection of the Rule 11 proceedings during cross-examination and the improper questioning about avowals made by defense counsel during opening statement, combined to deprive the defendant of a fair trial and influence the verdict. We do not agree. Both of the latter incidents were insignificant and were raised and dropped before any harm occurred. Cf. Pool v. Superior Court, supra . In light of the evidence of defendant's undoubted participation in the criminal enterprise, his confession, and Lange's statements and testimony  consistent at all times on the question of defendant's culpability  we believe that there is no reasonable possibility that the improprieties influenced the jury's verdict. The improper comment did not refer to any fact which might have shown or established guilt but only invited speculation on a credibility issue which, no doubt, would have been a subject of the jurors' speculation in any event. We find no abuse of discretion in denial of the motion for mistrial. The improper issue was first raised by defendant; we have seen no pattern of this type of improper final argument by the prosecution, and in the absence of prejudice do not, therefore, find it necessary to reverse as a deterrent measure.