People of Michigan v. Akei Levorn Chapman ( 2015 )

STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, UNPUBLISHED
July 21, 2015
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v No. 321000
Wayne Circuit Court
AKEI LEVORN CHAPMAN, LC No. 13-009215-FC
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: HOEKSTRA, P.J., and JANSEN and METER, JJ.
HOEKSTRA, P.J., (concurring).
I concur in the majority’s decision to affirm defendant’s convictions. I write separately
because, although I agree with the majority that any misconduct by the prosecutor was not
outcome determinative and that defense counsel was not constitutionally ineffective for failing to
object to the prosecutor’s remarks, I am persuaded that the prosecutor impermissibly expressed
personal beliefs, unsupported by the evidence, when the prosecutor categorically asserted that
“normal” and “healthy” friendships cannot exist between teenagers and adults. See People v
Bahoda, 448 Mich. 261, 282-283, 286-287; 531 NW2d 659 (1995); People v Watson, 245 Mich
App 572, 588; 629 NW2d 411 (2001).
/s/ Joel P. Hoekstra
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