Opinion ID: 214470
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: “Worst of the Worst” Comments

Text: Jennings argues that Bradley and his attorney prejudiced his right to a fair trial by referring to the inmates at Alger Maximum Correctional Facility as the “worst of the worst,” which stereotyped all inmates as untruthful and dangerous. During opening argument, Bradley’s attorney 2 Although one of Jennings’ witnesses testified by telephone because of a technical problem, this fact is not dispositive. See Jerden v. Amstutz, 430 F.3d 1231, 1238 n.7 (9th Cir. 2005) (stating that testimony in open court by telephone is permitted by Rule 43(a)) . No. 09-1372 Jennings v. Bradley Page 7 told that jury that “you’re going to have to go inside a world that most of you, and probably none of you, will ever experience. It’s a world in which the worst of the worst prisoners in the state of Michigan are incarcerated.” Later, Bradley testified in response to a question about the prison’s security level that “[i]t’s a Level V, the worst of the worst.” “Misconduct by an attorney that results in prejudice may serve as a basis for a new trial. The burden of showing prejudice rests with the party seeking the new trial, and district courts have broad discretion in deciding whether to grant a motion for a new trial.” Fuhr v. Sch. Dist. of Hazel Park, 364 F.3d 753, 759 (6th Cir. 2004) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Thus, Jennings “must show both that the . . . argument was improper and that [he] was prejudiced by the impropriety, that is, that there is a reasonable probability that the jury’s verdict was influenced by the improper argument.” Id. at 760. Jennings has arguably shown that the “worst of the worst” comments were improper. See Williams v. Drake, 146 F.3d 44, 48 (1st Cir. 1998) (affirming decision to exclude reference to plaintiff’s prison as the “highest security prison in the State of Maine, housing the most dangerous prisoners in the State of Maine” because it was unduly prejudicial). But we need not resolve the point because we are not persuaded that Jennings has demonstrated that there is a reasonable probability that the jury’s verdict was influenced by the improper argument. The statements describing Alger Maximum Correctional Facility inmates as “the worst of the worst” were accurate. Cf. Fuhr, 364 F.3d at 760 (holding that party failed to demonstrate a reasonable probability that the jury was improperly influenced by a comment when it was accurate). Furthermore, the district court instructed the jury that attorney comments are not evidence, and that “[t]his case is to be . . . decided No. 09-1372 Jennings v. Bradley Page 8 by you as an action between persons of equal standing in the community, of equal worth, holding the same or similar stations in life. Prisoners and prison employees are entitled to the same fair treatment at your hands as any private individual.” Thus, any prejudice resulting from the comments was alleviated by the jury instructions. Cf. Holmes v. City of Massillon, Ohio, 78 F.3d 1041, 1047 (6th Cir. 1996) (holding that a motion for a new trial should be denied if prejudice is cured by jury instructions); James v. Tilghman, 194 F.R.D. 408, 420-21 (D. Conn. 1999) (holding that inmate failed to establish that “worst of the worst” statements warranted new trial when jury instructions adequately redirected the jury’s attention). Because we cannot say that the arguably improper statements adversely affected the fairness of Jennings’ trial, we hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion in declining to grant a new trial on this ground.