Opinion ID: 412737
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Burned Remains Testimony.

Text: 46 There was no dispute that Joe Vinson had died and that his remains had been discovered in the burned house of Beulah Collins. Nevertheless, when the prosecution called a witness who stated that he had seen the remains of what appeared to be a human body in the burned house, the defense counsel embarked on an unusually pointless and prejudicial cross-examination. The defense counsel pressed the witness by asking him whether he was sure it was the remains of a human he saw or whether it could not have been the remains of a dog or an animal of some sort. On redirect examination, the prosecutor picked up on this grisly line of questioning, discussing whether the burned remains were human flesh or dog flesh. Although the defense counsel objected, the court noted that the defense counsel had opened the door on that   . We find no conceivable tactical rationale for the defense counsel opening up this line of questioning. It is impossible to determine what effect this testimony may have had on the jury, but it would be difficult for anyone to forget the gruesome details that were discussed. We do not believe that reasonably competent counsel would have made this serious error in judgment. 47 J. Failure to Request Mistrial. 48 The petitioner contends that counsel were ineffective because they failed to request a mistrial after a juror observed the defendant in shackles during a recess. A defendant is entitled to the physical indicia of innocence, otherwise the legal presumption of innocence is weakened. United States v. Robinson, 645 F.2d 616, 617 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 875, 102 S.Ct. 351, 70 L.Ed.2d 182 (1981); United States v. Gambina, 564 F.2d 22, 24 (8th Cir.1977). No tactical rationale appears to exist for counsel's failure to request a mistrial. 17 49 The defendant, of course, bears the burden of demonstrating prejudice in such a situation. United States v. Robinson, supra, 645 F.2d at 617. It is now too late to assess the prejudice resulting from the juror's observation of Harris in chains. The possibility of prejudice in such a situation, however, is sufficiently strong that competent counsel will generally request that the court grant a mistrial or otherwise take remedial action. 50 K. Failure to Object to Improper Comments by the Prosecutor. 51 The petitioner argues that the trial counsel were ineffective in failing to object to improper comments made by the prosecutor in closing argument. First, the petitioner notes that the prosecutor commented on his failure to testify. 18 There can be no doubt that it is improper for the prosecutor to comment upon the defendant's exercise of his Fifth Amendment privilege. Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 614-615, 85 S.Ct. 1229, 1232-33, 14 L.Ed.2d 106 (1965); Catches v. United States, 582 F.2d 453, 458 (8th Cir.1978). 52 Second, the petitioner urges that his counsel should have objected to comments by the prosecutor which expressed a personal opinion as to the defendant's guilt. Throughout the final argument, the prosecutor indicated that he personally believed that Harris was guilty. 19 It is unprofessional conduct for a prosecutor to express such a personal belief. Moreover, a prosecutor's position of public trust and his experience in criminal trials may induce the jury to give unwarranted weight to his personal opinion, which is extraneous and irrelevant to the issue of guilt. United States v. Singer, 660 F.2d 1295, 1303-1304 (8th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 454 U.S. 1156, 102 S.Ct. 1030, 71 L.Ed.2d 314 (1982). See American Bar Association, Standards Relating to the Prosecution Function, Standard 5.8(b) (2d ed. 1980). 53 The failure to object to improper comments may indicate a lack of skill or diligence on the part of counsel. When counsel have a plausible strategic reason for failing to object, however, we are reluctant to second-guess such a tactical decision. See Adail v. Wyrick, 671 F.2d 1218, 1220 (8th Cir.1982); Agee v. Wyrick, 546 F.2d 1324, 1327 (8th Cir.1976). At the evidentiary hearing before the magistrate, Harris's trial counsel testified that he had not objected to the improper comments because he felt they had made no impression on the jury. The seriously prejudicial nature of the improper comments in the prosecutor's closing argument lead us to believe that competent trial counsel would have objected. We emphasize that this failure to object would not be sufficient, by itself, to constitute ineffective assistance of counsel. But again, it is further evidence of the general ineffectiveness of Harris's attorneys. 54 L. Failure to Request Accomplice Testimony Instruction. 55 The petitioner contends that the trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance because they failed to request an accomplice testimony instruction. Under Arkansas law, no felony conviction can be obtained on accomplice testimony unless corroborating evidence links the defendant to the crime. Ark.Stat.Ann. Sec. 43-2116 (1977). Additionally, such an instruction generally indicates that the testimony of an accomplice should be considered with caution. See, e.g., Devitt & Blackmar, Federal Jury Practice & Instructions, Sec. 17.06 (2d ed. 1977). The petitioner alleges that such an instruction was crucial in this case because the essence of the state's case rested upon the testimony of two persons who were charged as Harris's accomplices. 20 Although the Arkansas Supreme Court has considered the sufficiency of the evidence corroborating the testimony of the accomplices and has found that it was sufficient, this finding does not determine how a jury would have reacted to the issue in the first instance. Harris v. State, supra, 558 S.W.2d at 145. Moreover, we do not believe that the petitioner need establish that he had a conclusive accomplice testimony defense. The unexcused failure of counsel to raise a known defense of potential merit is further evidence that counsel's overall performance was below the customary level of skill of reasonably competent practitioners.