Court Opinion

ID: 9734546
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:37:34.086277+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:49.127814
License: Public Domain

MOYLAN, Judge,
concurring.
I concur in the decision of the Court to affirm the convictions in this case. I concur, moreover, in the holding of the Court that the trial judge correctly declined to give the appellant’s requested jury instruction on the subject of character evidence and in that part of the opinion explaining that holding. I also concur in the holding of the Court that the trial judge committed no error with respect to closing argument.
*713The reason I file a separate concurrence is to dissociate myself from what I believe to be a totally unnecessary and ill-advised discussion, all by way of dicta, with respect to the prosecutor’s closing argument. In my judgment, there was nothing remotely improper about the closing argument given by the prosecuting attorney. I think it a clear mistake for this Court, even by way of dicta, to suggest that the argument was in any way less than legitimate. Closing argument is intended to be a robust forum where skilled advocates “slug it out” with all of the forensic weapons at their disposal. If appellate courts begin second-guessing this aspect of the adversary process too fastidiously, they will open a Pandora’s Box with unimaginable consequences. We will end up being called upon to “blue pencil” every successful argument that is made.
I reemphasize that the remarks in the majority opinion are only gratuitous dicta and I hope that whenever they are quoted, as inevitably they will be, the State hastens to point out their less-than-authoritative status.