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PROSECUTOR ADMONISHED FOR MISCONDUCT, CONVICTION AFFIRMED BECAUSE THE JURY WAS PROPERLY INSTRUCTED AND THE EVIDENCE OF GUILT WAS OVERWHELMING.

The Fourth Department did not reverse defendant’s conviction because of prosecutorial misconduct, but took the opportunity to admonish the prosecutor responsible for it, noting that several past reversals were based on that same prosecutor’s misconduct. The court determined the fact that the trial judge sustained objections to the misconduct and properly instructed the jury, together with the overwhelming evidence of guilt, allowed the conviction to stand:

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The People correctly concede that the prosecutor improperly appealed to the sympathy of the jury … . The People also correctly concede that the prosecutor improperly implied that a potential adolescent witness did not testify because he felt “guilt” about defendant’s actions; County Court, however, properly sustained defense counsel’s objection to the prosecutor’s statement and gave a curative instruction, which the jury is presumed to have followed … . Thus, with respect to that instance of misconduct, we conclude that any prejudice was alleviated … . The People also correctly concede that the prosecutor denigrated defense counsel by stating that he intentionally attempted to confuse an adolescent prosecution witness. We further conclude that, in an attempt to discredit the testimony of an adolescent defense witness, the prosecutor misstated the evidence with respect to whether the witness had spoken with defendant regarding the allegations against him. Although the prosecutor properly responded to defense counsel’s remarks during summation attacking the credibility of the victim … , she also improperly vouched for the credibility of the victim’s testimony … . Furthermore, the prosecutor improperly acted as an unsworn expert by describing defendant’s behavior towards the victim as “classic grooming behavior,” and as an unsworn witness with respect to reasons why the victim delayed in reporting what had occurred … . People v Flowers, 2017 NY Slip Op 04990, 4th Dept 6-16-17

CRIMINAL LAW (PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, PROSECUTOR ADMONISHED FOR MISCONDUCT, CONVICTION AFFIRMED BECAUSE THE JURY WAS PROPERLY INSTRUCTED AND THE EVIDENCE OF GUILT WAS OVERWHELMING)/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT, PROSECUTOR ADMONISHED FOR MISCONDUCT, CONVICTION AFFIRMED BECAUSE THE JURY WAS PROPERLY INSTRUCTED AND THE EVIDENCE OF GUILT WAS OVERWHELMING)/PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT (PROSECUTOR ADMONISHED FOR MISCONDUCT, CONVICTION AFFIRMED BECAUSE THE JURY WAS PROPERLY INSTRUCTED AND THE EVIDENCE OF GUILT WAS OVERWHELMING)

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