Opinion ID: 2454387
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Pre-Trial Prosecutorial Misconduct

Text: Storey alleges that the trial court erred in not granting a mistrial ( sua sponte, because no objections were made) when the prosecutor: (1) told the jury the State had to prove the case to the jury's satisfaction (not beyond a reasonable doubt); and (2) asked if the jury could impose death in the proper case. Any imprecision in the prosecutor's reasonable-doubt voir dire was cured by the jury instructions, which properly discussed reasonable doubt ( see section III.F., below). Asking the venire if they could impose death in the proper case is a permissible question. See State v. Feltrop, 803 S.W.2d 1, 19 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 501 U.S. 1262, 111 S.Ct. 2918, 115 L.Ed.2d 1081 (1991). Storey also claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to this voir dire. Since there was no misconduct, there was no ineffective assistance for failure to object.