Opinion ID: 2324752
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: License Plate Reference

Text: Last, the defendant argues that the trial justice erred by allowing the prosecutor to refer in his closing argument to the fact that the license plate reported to police by the eyewitness was not registered to the silver station wagon that he had followed and in which defendant was later arrested. The license plate actually belonged to a gray Hyundai, also owned by defendant. In making his closing statement, the prosecutor said: They're looking for VX 392. When they get that information they go to the address of the person whose car comes back registered to VX 392. But what kind of car does it come registered back to? A gray Hyundai. A Hyundai, not a station wagon, a Hyundai. That's what VX 392 came registered back to. David Harding, 110 Vine Street, gray Hyundai. That plate wasn't on a gray Hyundai was it? It was on a station wagon, Mercury Lynx, similar in style to a Ford Escort. Why do you think he has to change the license plate? Why is he changing the license plate to a different car? The defendant asserts that allowing the state to make this argument essentially enabled the state to argue about facts that were not presented in evidence. We disagree. Gordon Smith, a detective sergeant with the Cranston Police Department, testified that the license plate reported by the eyewitness was registered to a Hyundai owned by David Harding. Thus, this fact was in evidence. Moreover, in State v. Scott, 114 R.I.132, 330 A.2d 66 (1974), we held that [t]here is no precise formula to delineate the proper bounds of the prosecutor's argument to the jury. Id. at 137, 330 A.2d at 70 (citing State v. Mancini, 108 R.I. 261, 274 A.2d 742 (1971)). He or she is allowed considerable latitude in argument, however, as long as [the prosecutor] stays within the evidence and the legitimate inferences to be drawn therefrom. 114 R.I. at 137, 330 A.2d at 70. See also State v. Donato, 592 A.2d 140, 142 (R.I.1991) (holding that prosecutor's closing argument mentioning money problems between the victim and the defendant was within the latitude extended to the prosecutor).