Opinion ID: 1881709
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Send a Message

Text: ¶ 58. Jackson's counsel spoke about the damage Jackson sustained as a result of the alleged false imprisonment and malicious prosecution claims and stated: So how much is it worth? You're the judges of that. But I think it is time, based on what we've seen here today and heard here today, to send a message to this casino that we in Greenville, Mississippi, are not going to let casinos destroy people's lives, run over them, throw them in jail and prosecute them without cause, and that's why this case is worth one million dollars, and that's what I'm asking for, ladies and gentlemen. (emphasis added). ¶ 59. Attorneys are allowed wide latitude in closing arguments. Holly v. State, 716 So.2d 979, 988 (Miss.1998); Wilcher v. State, 697 So.2d 1087, 1110 (Miss.1997). In addition, the court should also be very careful in limiting free play of ideas, imagery, and personalities of counsel in their argument to [a] jury. Ahmad v. State, 603 So.2d 843, 846 (Miss.1992). Any alleged improper comment must be viewed in context, taking the circumstances of the case into consideration. Id. The trial judge is in the best a position to determine if an alleged objectionable remark has a prejudicial effect. Roundtree v. State, 568 So.2d 1173, 1177 (Miss.1990). ¶ 60. In the case sub judice, Alpha objected at trial to the video statement. The trial court sustained the objection. As to the ability to pay statement and the send a message statement, Alpha did not contemporaneously object at trial. This Court held that [i]f no contemporaneous objection is made, the error, if any, is waived. Walker v. State, 671 So.2d 581, 597 (Miss.1995) (citing Foster v. State, 639 So.2d 1263, 1270 (Miss.1994)). The contemporaneous objection rule is in place to enable the court to correct an error with proper instructions to the jury whenever possible. Gray v. State, 487 So.2d 1304, 1312 (Miss.1986) (citing Baker v. State 327 So.2d 288, 292-93 (Miss.1976)). However, Alpha relying on Johnson v. Fargo, 604 So.2d 306, 311 (Miss.1992), maintains that this Court may review the closing comments and determine whether a new trial is warranted, despite no objection at trial, under the plain error doctrine. This Court has the right to notice plain error as cited in M.R.E. 103(d). In Johnson this Court held that under the standard of review, the court retains the inherent authority to notice error to prevent the manifest miscarriage of justice, despite trial counsel's failure to preserve the error. Id. (citing State Highway Comm'n v. McDonald's Corp., 509 So.2d 856, 863 (Miss.1987)). In order to reverse under the plain error doctrine, the reviewing court must find both error and harm. Riggs v. State, 744 So.2d 365, 372 (Miss.Ct.App.1999); Dobbins v. State, 766 So.2d 29, 31 (Miss.Ct.App.2000). ¶ 61. The defense objected to Jackson's video comment at trial. Counsel objected on the basis that the video was a matter not in evidence. The trial judge sustained the objection. If sustaining the objection alone is considered to be inadequate to remove the alleged prejudicial effect of the objected matter from the minds of the jury, then the court must be requested to instruct the jury to disregard the matter. Anderson v. Jaeger, 317 So.2d 902, 906 (Miss.1975). The jury is presumed to understand that the court disapproves of any testimony when an objection is sustained. Estes v. State, 533 So.2d 437, 439 (Miss.1988). Alpha objected to the comment, and the trial court sustained the objection. If Alpha did not consider the sustained objection to be adequate, then the trial court should have been requested to instruct the jury to disregard the matter, otherwise there is no error. General Motors Corp. v. Pegues, 738 So.2d 746, 754 (Miss.Ct.App.1998). Alpha did not request the trial court to instruct the jury to disregard the statement. ¶ 62. Considering the context of the comment, Andrzejewski and Sutton testified that the casino usually videotapes all areas of the casino, including the blackjack table. Jackson showed the videotape of the main cage area to the jury shortly after this comment. The comment did not state that the casino was withholding a videotape of the blackjack table, rather it suggested that a videotape would negate the need to rely on testimony. Based on the above case law, the trial judge was within her discretion. The sustained objection and the presumption that the jury understands that the court disapproves of a sustained comment cured any prejudicial error. ¶ 63. Alpha contends that the ability to pay comment prejudiced its case to the extent of having a run away jury. In effect, Alpha contends that the they've got it and they should pay it comments indicated that Alpha had the ability to pay a large judgment. Alpha cites the trial court's previous ruling to exclude evidence of the financial status of Alpha and case law pertaining to facts not in evidence. The case sub judice is clearly barred for failure to contemporaneously object to the comment at trial. Walker, 671 So.2d at 597. ¶ 64. Procedural bar aside, the comment additionally fails under the plain error doctrine and is distinguishable from Johnson. In Johnson, the plaintiff mistakenly testified to a crime that he did not commit. The plaintiff's counsel was shocked, and the trial court was in turmoil. Yet, the plaintiff kept rapidly answering questions. Here, there were no similar shocking statements made in rapid succession by plaintiff's counsel in closing argument. The defense had already interrupted Jackson's counsel for an earlier closing comment and the judge made a ruling. An objection could have been made by defense counsel concerning the comment and the judge could have ruled on the objection. ¶ 65. Taking the comment in context, Jackson's counsel was giving the jury an overview and breakdown of the damages in the case. Specifically, the jury should award $450,000.00 for the arrest and malicious prosecution claim. Jackson did not state the net worth of the casino but merely that Alpha should pay the damages. In addition, it is arguable that casinos are generally viewed by the public to have a secure financial status since the nature of the business is betting money on games of chance. In this Court's opinion there was no error or harm and, therefore, no miscarriage of justice to warrant a reversal under the plain error doctrine. ¶ 66. Alpha contends that the send a message statement at trial is inflammatory as evidenced by the outlandish jury verdict and constitutes reversible error. Again, this issue in the case sub judice is clearly barred for failure to contemporaneously object to the comment at trial. Walker, 671 So.2d at 597. ¶ 67. Procedural bar aside, the comment fails under the plain error doctrine. Alpha relies on Payton v. State , a criminal case, to support its contentions. In specific, Alpha contends that the same admonishment that applies in a criminal case should apply in a civil case, especially in the compensatory damage stage of the trial. In Payton, the prosecutor made a send a message comment in his closing argument. However, this Court declined to adopt a per se reversible error rule on send a message statements, but added that depending on the surrounding circumstances, the statement may constitute reversible error on its own. Payton v. State, 785 So.2d 267, 271 (Miss.1999). After a review of Mississippi case law, there appears to be no civil send a message cases on point. In the case sub judice, the send a message statement does not constitute reversible error. Unlike the comment in Payton, which asked the jurors to send a message to the older, more mature criminals, Jackson's counsel requested the jury to send a message directly to Alpha.