Court Opinion

ID: 9936216
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-09 18:57:34.786326+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:30:33.397281
License: Public Domain

I must respectfully dissent. After the district attorney made his improper comment, defense counsel objected and moved for a mistrial. After the trial judge denied the motion for a mistrial, defense counsel did not ask the trial judge to give the jury a prompt curative instruction. Nonetheless, the trial judge later gave a curative instruction specifically referring to the district attorney's comment, and defense counsel stated that he was satisfied with that instruction. I do not think that a trial judge, even in a death penalty case, must automatically instruct the jury to ignore an improper comment, especially when the defendant does not ask for such an instruction; and I am reluctant to find reversible error when defense counsel states that he is satisfied with the curative instruction.