State v. Banks

PER CURIAM 1

A jury found Jeremy L. Banks guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action for killing Alvon Turner on September 14, 2008, in Kansas City. Banks does not challenge the sufficiency of the state’s evidence against him. He correctly claims the prosecuting attorney’s rebuttal closing argument referring to Banks as the “Devil” was improper and prejudicial. The judgment is reversed, and the case is remanded.

The Argument, Objection, and Ruling

In his closing argument, Banks argued to the jury that the witnesses to the shooting, which occurred at a “crack house,” were drug users,…