Opinion ID: 75047
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prosecutor’s comments and actions at trial

Text: Chandler argues that the prosecutor used a series of improper comments that rendered his trial fundamentally unfair. Chandler objected to some of these comments and did not object to other comments he challenges. He claims that the prosecutor attempted to inflame the jury’s passions, maligned the defense, misstated the law, misrepresented the facts, and commented on Chandler’s right to remain silent. Additionally, he contends that the prosecutor engaged in unprofessional theatrics when he used the alleged murder weapon, a baseball bat, to repeatedly smash a briefcase on the defense table. 10 Chandler first raised this issue in his Rule 3.850 post-conviction motion, along with a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to some of the allegedly inflammatory comments. On appeal of the denial of his Rule 3.850, Chandler argued that his counsel were ineffective for failing to object to the prosecutor’s improper comments. The Florida Supreme Court found that Chandler could not meet the standard set forth in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (1984), to establish his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. The Florida Supreme Court found that if the substantive claims had been raised on direct appeal, the court would have found no reversible error. Chandler, 634 So.2d at 1069. In his state habeas petition, Chandler also raised the claim of ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to the prosecutor’s comments and actions. Chandler also argued that his appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge these comments on appeal. The Florida Supreme Court addressed the claim as one of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel and found that if appellate counsel had raised the issues on appeal, the court would have found them to be without merit. Id. at 1068. The court also noted that the substantive claims should have been raised on direct appeal and to overcome the procedural bar Chandler included allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel. Id. at 1067. 11 Since the Florida Supreme Court found the substantive claims procedurally barred, we will not consider them in light of Chandler’s failure to demonstrate cause and prejudice to excuse the procedural default. We will only consider Chandler’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to the allegedly improper comments. In order to establish a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, Chandler must show that counsels’ performance was deficient and that this deficient performance prejudiced his defense. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Chandler’s first challenge concerns the prosecutor’s comment to a prospective juror that “if the case didn’t hold water, you would never get to hear it and make a deliberation.” [R. Vol. 4, Exh. A, p. 377]. The prosecutor’s comment was in response to a prospective juror’s statement that “I read pretty elaborately. There are quite a few cases where they don’t hold water if it’s just circumstantial evidence.” [Id.]. Chandler claims that his counsel were ineffective for failing to object to this comment. This comment was not improper in light of the context in which it was uttered. The prosecutor was explaining the concept of circumstantial evidence and responding to a comment by a prospective juror. Since it was not an erroneous comment, Chandler’s counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to object to it. 12 The next comment with which Chandler takes issue also occurred during jury selection. The prosecutor stated that “the two defense lawyers here have said that he’s entitled to a presumption of innocence and they asked you can you presume or believe he is innocent.” [R. Vol. 4, Exh. A, p. 510]. In light of the trial court’s numerous instructions that Chandler is entitled to a presumption of innocence, there is no error in this comment. Accordingly, Chandler’s counsel were not ineffective for failing to object to the comment. Another comment Chandler challenges also occurred during jury selection when the prosecutor stated to the entire jury panel, “[t]he defendant doesn’t have to say anything, he doesn’t have to prove anything. The exceptions, or one of the exceptions, is where the defense of alibi is raised.” [R. Vol. 5, Exh. A, p. 945]. The prosecutor made this comment after his explanation regarding the State’s burden of proof and during his explanation regarding the alibi defense. There was nothing improper in the statement and Chandler’s attorneys cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to object to the comment. Chandler challenges another comment which occurred during jury selection. The prosecutor stated that “[n]one of us know what evidence is going to come in at this point. We all know what we want to get in, but nobody knows what evidence you’re going to see, observe or hear.” [R. Vol. 5, Exh. A, p. 1158]. Chandler fails 13 to acknowledge the remainder of the prosecutor’s comment which explained that the evidence the jury could consider was evidence from the witness stand or exhibits. The prosecutor asked if the jury would “weigh all the evidence and base [their] verdict on the conclusion that [they] have from weighing it all?” [Id.]. The prosecutor’s comment and accompanying explanation were not erroneous. Therefore, Chandler’s counsel were not ineffective for failing to object to the comment. Chandler challenges the prosecutor’s comments during closing argument. The first comment referred to a witness who the prosecutor stated was “the biggest liar in Indian River County” and the State did not call her as a witness because it could not “rely on her credibility.” [R. Vol. 8, Exh. A, p. 3604-05]. Chandler also claims that the prosecutor referred to Chandler’s mother as a liar and erroneously commented on the number of stab wounds each victim received as representing the number of years Chandler had spent in jail. [R. Vol. 8, Exh. A, p. 3599-3600; 3622]. The prosecutor’s comment on the credibility of the witness was an accurate statement because the witness told four different stories regarding Chandler’s whereabouts during a crucial time. Contrary to Chandler’s assertion, the prosecutor stated he was not going to call Chandler’s mother a liar. The prosecutor asked the jury to view dubiously her testimony in light of the obvious bias of the 14 mother/child relationship. As to the number of stab wounds, the prosecutor was correctly commenting on the evidence. His reference to Chandler’s years in prison was not inflammatory because the jury heard testimony that Chandler previously had been in jail. Accordingly, we conclude none of the comments rose to the level of fundamental error. Donnelly v. DeChristoforo, 416 U.S. 637, 642, 94 S.Ct. 1868 (1974); Cargill v. Turpin, 120 F.3d 1366, 1379 (11th Cir. 1997). Therefore, Chandler’s counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to object to these comments, and Chandler is not entitled to relief on this claim.