United States v. Williams

I agree that the trial counsel’s argument was not plain error and the failure to object constitutes waiver. However, I must disassociate myself from any implication of the majority that the remarks of the trial counsel were proper. The so-called “Golden Rule” argument is traditionally recognized as improper because it invites the court members to depart from neutrality and decide the case on the basis of personal interest and bias rather than on the evidence.1 See e.g. United States v. Wood, 40 C.M.R. 3 (C.M.A.1969); United States v. Begley, 38 C.M.R. 488 (A.B.R.1967); Dyer v. State, 154…