Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Citation
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019) 3.
- Parent Document
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts (state)
- Effective Date
- 2019-01-03
Other Sections in This Document (17)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
- Commonwealth v. Engstrom, 122 N.E.3d 1098 (2019)
Full Text
1,011 chars3. Closing argument. Lastly, the defendant challenges the prosecutor's closing argument, asserting that the prosecutor improperly vouched for the credibility of the police witness when she said, "I would argue that his testimony was honest and credible." Like use of phrases that include "submit" and "suggest," the use of the rhetorical term "argue" makes clear the prosecutor's statement did not constitute an impermissible expression of personal belief. See Commonwealth v. Silva, 401 Mass. 318, 329 (1987). Additionally, the judge specifically instructed the jury that "[t]he attorneys are not permitted to express their personal beliefs in the credibility or lack of credibility of any witness who testified in this case. That determination is entirely for you to make. If a lawyer makes such a comment, you should disregard that comment." Nothing in the record here indicates that the jury did not follow the judge's instructions. See Commonwealth v. Maynard, 436 Mass. 558, 571 (2002). Judgment affirmed.