State v. Nicole Schutte, 2006 WI App 135, PFR filed 7/21/06
For Schutte: Donald T. Lang, SPD, Madison Appellate
Issue/Holding: Failure to move for mistrial waived any objection to the prosecutor’s closing argument, ¶60. Nor do the comments rise to the level of plain error necessary to overcome waiver:
¶61 The State points out that, in denying Schutte’s motion for postconviction relief, the trial court observed that the prosecutor’s discussion of “sympathy” in his rebuttal was largely a counter to defense arguments regarding the impact the “accident” had on Schutte. For example, defense counsel told jurors, “And I would ask you to consider [Schutte], who’s a victim in this accident also. She was seriously injured. She lost her boyfriend. She lost her best friend and lost another friend. No matter what the verdict is, she won’t move on from this.” The State also notes that courts in other states have concluded that it is not improper argument for a prosecutor to appeal to jurors to “send a message to the community” or to hold a defendant “accountable.” [12]
[12] See, e.g., Jowers v. State, 613 S.E.2d 14, 17 (Ga. Ct. App. 2005) (“‘It is not improper for a prosecutor to appeal to the jury to convict for the safety of the community, or to stress the need for enforcement of the laws and to impress on the jury its responsibility in that regard.’”); State v. Collins, 150 S.W.3d 340, 354 (Mo. Ct. App. 2004) (“The State may argue that the jury should ‘send a message’ that society will not tolerate certain conduct.”); People v. Howell, 831 N.E.2d 681, 692 (Ill. Ct. App. 2005) (not error for a prosecutor to ask jurors to “hold[] the defendant accountable for his actions”); Commonwealth v. Wheeler, 645 A.2d 853, 859 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1994) (not error for a prosecutor to tell jurors that “defendants should be held ‘accountable to the law of a civilized people.’”).
