State v. Ortiz

Summary

The court affirmed the defendant’s murder conviction, rejecting claims concerning prosecutorial argument, impeachment of state witnesses, and jury instructions. It held that any impropriety in the prosecutor’s rebuttal was not sufficiently prejudicial to deny a fair trial, that the trial court acted within its discretion in limiting impeachment by prior convictions, and that the challenged instructions adequately guided the jury. The court also held that juries need not be instructed that uncharged misconduct must conclusively support the purpose for which it is offered.