Opinion ID: 1714125
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the circuit court erred in denying horne's motion for mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct during closing argument.

Text: ¶ 53. Although parties are given great latitude in closing arguments, Dunaway v. State, 551 So.2d 162, 163 (Miss. 1989), an improper closing argument may constitute reversible error if the natural and probable effect of the prosecuting attorney's... argument created unjust prejudice against the accused resulting in a decision inflated by prejudice. Id. ¶ 54. Horne contends that the following argument by the State instructed the jury to stop the crime and gang activity in the neighborhood and to protect the community and to stop crime: And let me tell you the sad part of this case, and I'm going to close with this. Mr. Gaddis asked Ms. Essie Ellisshe asked Ms. Essie Ellis about the gangs. And that incident was the day before, I believe, if I remember the testimony night before this happened. But she asked her was it a dangerousyes, sir. Do you have gangs there? Do you have drug dealers there? Yes, you do. It's a bad neighborhood, isn't it? Yes. I can't go out at night. I can't go out at night. Here we are in the United States of American and people are a prisoner to their own home. They can't go out at night because of drugs and guns and gangs.    Yes sir. I'm fixing to finish it. You see, that's what happens, and when you look the other way, if you're in law enforcement, whatever profession you're in, and you walk by and look the other way when you know something's wrong and you ought to do something about it, then you've got to do something about it under the law. You create a new stand.    Maybe he's entitled to consideration, but we can't give it to him. We don't know. We have no way under the law. Our duty is to try to enforce the law and to protect everybody in that community. It's a tough, tough job, 24 hours a day, but especially when people are armed with these kinds of things. And I'm not going to hold us up here anymore, but his is not a 14 year old's toy. This is a killing machine. And you know the old saying? Guns don't kill people; people kill people. I agree with that. This gun couldn't have walked in that place and loaded itself and fired. People do it. ¶ 55. Horne has misinterpreted the State's remarks. The prosecutor did not instruct the jury to stop crime and clean up neighborhoods. He stated that it was the duty of people who work in law enforcement to stop crime and clean up neighborhoods. And Horne opened the door to the State's remarks about gang activity when he examined a witness about gang activity in the neighborhood. ¶ 56. This claim is without merit.