Opinion ID: 2178431
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Improper argument of State's attorney.

Text: The defendant complains that the prosecuting attorney in his argument to the jury wrongfully commented upon evidence by giving the jury his personal opinion thereon and that he otherwise wrongly argued the defendant's alleged failure to produce certain witnesses. The record discloses no objections by trial counsel to the offending argument. In State v. Watson, 1873, 63 Me. 128, at 138, this Court said: If the county attorney in his argument to the jury transcended his legitimate province, the counsel for the respondent should have interposed their objection at the time, that the court might have set the matter right before the jury. Not having done so, it is too late to raise that question. [I]n any event, objection must be made at the time; if not so taken, it is considered as waived. Knowlton v. Ross, 1915, 114 Me. 18, at 19, 95 A. 281, at 282. See also, Mizula v. Sawyer, 1931, 130 Me. 428, 432, 157 A. 239. The argument of counsel for the State was reproduced in full and available for judicial scrutiny. We have examined it, notwithstanding the absence of objection, in the light of State v. White, 1966, Me., 217 A.2d 212, to determine if the defendant was highly prejudiced thereby. Looking at the totality of the evidence surrounding the depicted criminal scene and events, we are unable to say that any manifest error was committed.