State v. Landrum

559 N.E.2d 710, 53 Ohio St. 3d 107, 1990 Ohio LEXIS 343
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 15, 1990
DocketNo. 89-454
StatusPublished
Cited by731 cases

This text of 559 N.E.2d 710 (State v. Landrum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Landrum, 559 N.E.2d 710, 53 Ohio St. 3d 107, 1990 Ohio LEXIS 343 (Ohio 1990).

Opinions

Moyer, C.J.

We have reviewed Landrum’s thirty-one propositions of law, independently assessed the evidence relating to the death sentence, independently balanced the merged aggravating circumstances against the mitigating factors, and evaluated the proportionality of the sentence to those imposed in similar cases. As a result, we affirm the convictions and sentence of death.

I

Prosecutorial Misconduct

Propositions I, II and XVI all argue alleged misconduct by the prosecutor. In his first proposition of law, Landrum argues various comments by the prosecutor deprived him of constitutional rights against self-incrimination, and to counsel and due process. In response, the state denies impropriety, argues waiver because the defense did not object, and asserts that Landrum received a fair trial.

In final argument, the prosecutor disparagingly referred to Landrum’s not guilty pleas. In September, Landrum had pled not guilty. The prosecutor stated: “[f]or the first time yesterday, he’s changed his story and apparently now, he and his attorneys honestly are telling you, well, I’m guilty of some things. They’re telling you I’m guilty of Aggravated Burglary even though I denied it when I talked to [Detective] Groves, even though I denied it when I came in and was called upon to enter a plea. Now, I’m going to tell the truth.”

Landrum argues correctly that courts disapprove of penalties imposed for exercising constitutional rights. In Doyle v. Ohio (1976), 426 U.S. 610, the United States Supreme Court condemned prosecutors who attempt to impeach a defendant’s trial testimony by cross-examination based on an accused’s post-arrest silence and exercise of Miranda rights. Griffin v. California (1965), 380 U.S. 609, held that comments by prosecutors seeking to premise guilt findings on a defendant’s failure to testify were not permissible.

In this case, the prosecutor improperly referred to Landrum’s not guilty plea in pejorative terms. In effect, the prosecutor implied that Landrum was dishonest by pleading not guilty and then in his trial testimony admitting partial guilt. However, Landrum was legally and procedurally fully entitled to plead not guilty, rely upon the presumption of innocence, and require the state to prove its case. See Crim. R. 11. Yet, the prosecutor could argue that Landrum should not be believed on the stand because Landrum lied to the police after his arrest.

Landrum further claims that the prosecutor appealed to the jurors’ passions and prejudices and attempted to secure a verdict by fear. When the prosecutor cross-examined Landrum, he handed him the kitchen knife and asked him to hold the knife just as he had that night. During final argument, the prosecutor admitted he may have startled the jury.

He informed the jury that, “I did that on purpose and I watched your reaction and I want you to think now about what your reaction was when you saw that defendant on the stand with that knife. Were you concerned? Were you startled? Did it shock you? Were you worried? Did you think you might be in danger or not? Sometimes our bodies tell us things before our minds do and if you had any of those feelings when Larry was setting [sic] on that stand with that’s — with that weapon, I submit to you it was something inside of you telling you that he knows how to use it and he’s willing to use it. If you had that feeling at all, I ask you to reflect back on what [111]*111you felt when you saw him setting [sic] there with that weapon.”

In this case, defense counsel did not object at trial to the prosecutor’s comment about the not guilty plea or the knife. We decline to invoke the plain error rule. “A claim of error in a criminal case can not be predicated upon the improper remarks of counsel during his argument at trial, which were not objected to, unless such remarks serve to deny the defendant a fair trial. “ State v. Wade (1978), 53 Ohio St. 2d 182, 7 O.O. 3d 362, 373 N. E. 2d 1244, paragraph one of the syllabus; accord Scott v. State (1923), 107 Ohio St. 475, 1 Ohio Law Abs. 405, 141 N.E. 19, paragraph two of the syllabus. See, also, Crim. R. 52(B). “Notice of plain error under Crim. R. 52(B) is to be taken with the utmost caution, under exceptional circumstances and only, to prevent a manifest miscarriage of justice.” State v. Long (1978), 53 Ohio St. 2d 91, 7 O.O. 3d 178, 372 N.E. 2d 804, paragraph three of the syllabus.

When the prosecutor handed the knife to Landrum and asked Landrum how he handled the knife that night, the prosecutor’s conduct was not improper per se. Defense counsel did not object, and the prosecutor’s hidden motives do not excuse the lack of objection. The cold record does not reflect theatrics as Landrum claims. Moreover, “[w]here upon a trial of an indictment the defendant offers himself as a witness, and testifies in his own behalf, he thereby subjects himself to the same rules, and may be called on to submit to the same tests as to his credibility as may legally be applied to other witnesses.” Hanoff v. State (1881), 37 Ohio St. 178, paragraph one of the syllabus.

The prosecutor in his argument did appeal to the jury’s emotion rather than reason. By asking the jurors how they felt, and whether they were worried or shocked by seeing Landrum with the knife, the prosecutor overstepped the bounds of propriety.

However, viewed in its total context, the prosecutor’s final argument was reasoned, logical, and not emotional. He kept to matters of record; he carefully reviewed the extensive evidence against Landrum; and he pointed out possible prejudice or bias of defense witnesses. As a whole, the argument was unobjectionable.

The court instructed the jury on the effect of the not guilty plea and further that counsel’s arguments were not evidence. In his own trial testimony, Landrum admitted planning the burglary and wrestling and threatening White with the butcher knife. Shortly after the murder, Landrum apparently told at least five people that he personally had cut White’s throat. Landrum claimed he did not remember making those admissions, but he never denied making them. Those facts demonstrate a strong case, not a weak circumstantial case as Landrum claims. In light of the overall fairness of the prosecutor’s closing argument, the misconduct was not crucial. Landrum received a fair trial and there was no miscarriage of justice. We decline to recognize any plain error. Crim. R. 52(B); State v. Wade, supra.

Landrum’s other complaints about the prosecutor’s conduct in the guilt phase are without merit. Some latitude is granted to both parties in closing argument. State v. Byrd (1987), 32 Ohio St. 3d 79, 82, 512 N.E. 2d 611, 616; State v. Liberatore (1982), 69 Ohio St. 2d 583, 589, 23 O.O. 3d 489, 493, 433 N.E. 2d 561, 566. Viewed in its entirety, the closing argument was not prejudicial. State v. Byrd, supra, at 82, 512 N.E. 2d at 616; State v. Moritz [112]*112(1980), 63 Ohio St. 2d 150, 157, 17 O.O. 3d 92, 97, 407 N.E. 2d 1268, 1273.

In his second proposition of law, Landrum claims denial of a fair trial by-citing four examples of prosecutorial misconduct during the sentencing hearing. First, Landrum complains about a comment made by the prosecutor when he cross-examined Landrum about earlier admissions that he slit White’s throat.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
559 N.E.2d 710, 53 Ohio St. 3d 107, 1990 Ohio LEXIS 343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-landrum-ohio-1990.