Opinion ID: 1969802
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 30

Heading: 3-7, e.21, h.15)

Text: The claims in this category pertain to various instances of prosecutorial misconduct that allegedly occurred at defendant's trial. For example, defendant asserts that the following portion of the prosecutor's opening statement improperly referred to the fact that defendant had hired a lawyer: An indictment is a tool that we use in our judicial system which brings a case to a particular posture. .. . This indictment has served its purpose in that it has brought us all together, the Court, myself, two of the defendants, named Mr. Marshall and Mr. Thompson, the lawyers hired by them, and, most importantly, you, ladies and gentlemen, who will ultimately be called upon to decide the facts of this case. Defendant also argues that the prosecutor committed misconduct in introducing victim-impact evidence by stating, during his opening remarks: This is a murder case  not just a murder case  but a case of murder for hire. The execution of a forty-two-year-old Toms River housewife and mother; a killing solicited and paid for by her husband, defendant Robert Marshall. Most of the remaining claims in this category similarly criticize brief comments made by the prosecutor during the course of the trial. We have reviewed all of the claims thoroughly and conclude that they are entirely without merit and do not warrant extended discussion. Indeed, many of defendant's claims are mere restatements of claims rejected by this Court on defendant's direct appeal. See Marshall I, supra, 123 N.J. at 152-64, 586 A. 2d 85. In respect of most of the claims in this category, defendant has failed to demonstrate that the prosecutorial conduct in question was improper. In the remaining instances, defendant has not established that the State's misconduct was so egregious that it deprived defendant of a fair trial. Ramseur, supra, 106 N.J. at 322, 524 A. 2d 188. Thus, we find that the PCR court properly dismissed the claims in this category without granting an evidentiary hearing.