People of Michigan v. Anton Dukaj ( 2020 )


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  •             If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to
    revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.
    STATE OF MICHIGAN
    COURT OF APPEALS
    PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,                                     UNPUBLISHED
    June 25, 2020
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    v                                                                    No. 345319
    Macomb Circuit Court
    ANTON DUKAJ,                                                         LC No. 2015-002347-FH
    Defendant-Appellant.
    Before: GLEICHER, P.J., and SAWYER and METER, JJ.
    PER CURIAM.
    Defendant appeals as of right his jury trial conviction of assault with intent to commit
    second-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC-II), MCL 750.520g(2). The jury acquitted defendant
    of an additional count of second-degree home invasion, MCL 750.110a(3). The trial court
    sentenced defendant to five years’ probation, with 90 days to be served in jail, but with credit for
    49 days served and deferral of the additional jail time. The trial court denied defendant’s motion
    for a new trial after conducting an evidentiary hearing. Defendant appeals as of right. We affirm
    defendant’s conviction, but remand for correction of the judgment of sentence.1
    Defendant was convicted of assaulting the 13-year-old complainant during the afternoon
    of August 2, 2014, while she was alone at her mother’s condominium. Defendant, a friend of the
    family, lived in a nearby unit in the same condominium complex. According to the complainant,
    while she was alone in her home and sitting on the couch in the living room, defendant entered the
    home through a rear sliding door and attempted to remove her pants. She kicked him in the groin
    area and he left the residence. The complainant did not report the incident at the time, but she told
    a counselor about six months later, which led to her parents learning about the incident and filing
    1
    The judgment of sentence continues to list both counts, but it does not indicate that defendant
    was convicted of the assault with intent to commit CSC-II count, or that he was acquitted of the
    home-invasion count. In addition, the judgment erroneously lists the sentence date next to the
    judge’s signature as “6-15-15” instead of “6-15-17.” We remand for correction of these clerical
    errors.
    -1-
    a police report. The defense theory at trial was that the incident never occurred, that the
    complainant had a reputation for not being truthful, and that the incident could not have occurred
    as the complainant described because of defendant’s physical limitations.
    After his conviction, defendant moved for a new trial on the ground that trial counsel was
    ineffective for not presenting an alibi defense and for not calling other witnesses. After conducting
    an evidentiary hearing, the trial court denied defendant’s motion.
    I. INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL
    Defendant argues that he is entitled to a new trial due to ineffective assistance of counsel.
    On appeal, he raises ineffective-assistance claims that were raised in his motion for a new trial, as
    well as additional claims that were not raised below. We will address the claims that defendant
    raised in his motion for a new trial in Part A of this section, and will address defendant’s additional
    claims in Part B of this section.
    Whether a defendant has been denied the effective assistance of counsel is a mixed question
    of fact and constitutional law. People v LeBlanc, 
    465 Mich 575
    , 579; 640 NW2d 246 (2002). The
    trial court’s factual findings are reviewed for clear error. 
    Id.
     Whether the facts as found by the
    trial court establish a violation of defendant’s right to the effective assistance of counsel is a
    question of constitutional law, which we review de novo. 
    Id.
     With respect to those claims that
    were not raised below, our review is limited to errors apparent from the record. People v Matuszak,
    
    263 Mich App 42
    , 48; 687 NW2d 342 (2004).
    To establish ineffective assistance of counsel, defendant must show that counsel’s
    performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness, and that the representation so
    prejudiced defendant that he was denied his right to a fair trial. People v Pickens, 
    446 Mich 298
    ,
    338; 521 NW2d 797 (1994). Defendant must overcome the presumption that the challenged action
    might be considered sound trial strategy. People v Tommolino, 
    187 Mich App 14
    , 17; 466 NW2d
    315 (1991). To establish prejudice, defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability
    that, but for his counsel’s error, the result of the proceeding would have been different. People v
    Johnson, 
    451 Mich 115
    , 124; 545 NW2d 637 (1996). The burden is on defendant to produce
    factual support for his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. People v Hoag, 
    460 Mich 1
    , 6;
    594 NW2d 57 (1999).
    It is counsel’s duty to make an independent examination of the facts, laws, pleadings, and
    circumstances involved in the matter and to pursue all leads relevant to the issues. People v Grant,
    
    470 Mich 477
    , 486-487; 684 NW2d 686 (2004). Failure to conduct a reasonable investigation can
    constitute ineffective assistance of counsel. People v McGhee, 
    268 Mich App 600
    , 626; 709 NW2d
    595 (2005). A sound trial strategy is one based on investigation and supported by reasonable
    professional judgments. Grant, 
    470 Mich at 486-487
    . This Court will not substitute its judgment
    for that of counsel regarding matters of trial strategy. People v Davis, 
    250 Mich App 357
    , 368;
    649 NW2d 94 (2002). Counsel will only be found ineffective because of a strategy decision if the
    strategy employed was not sound or reasonable. People v Cline, 
    276 Mich App 634
    , 637; 741
    NW2d 563 (2007).
    -2-
    Decisions regarding what evidence to present and whether to call or question witnesses are
    presumed to be matters of trial strategy. Davis, 250 Mich App at 368. Counsel’s failure to a call
    a witness is considered ineffective assistance only if it deprives the defendant of a substantial
    defense. People v Russell, 
    297 Mich App 707
    , 716; 825 NW2d 623 (2012). A substantial defense
    is one that could have affected the outcome of the trial. People v Daniel, 
    207 Mich App 47
    , 58;
    523 NW2d 830 (1994).
    A. ISSUES RAISED IN DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL
    1. ALIBI DEFENSE
    Defendant argues that the trial court erred by determining that defense counsel was not
    ineffective for failing to present an alibi defense. We disagree.
    The record reveals that defendant and defense counsel discussed a potential alibi defense
    before trial. They discussed a defense that would have been predicated on either defendant being
    at an auto repair shop or defendant doing volunteer work at his church at the time of the alleged
    offense. There initially was some confusion whether the offense was alleged to have been
    committed on August 1 or August 2, 2014. However, the complainant consistently maintained
    that it was committed on the first Saturday in August, which would have been August 2. The
    complainant agreed that the offense was committed at approximately 1:00 p.m. that afternoon.
    Defendant presented defense counsel with information and documentation for two different alibis
    on that date. He presented an auto repair shop invoice dated August 2 and maintained that he
    remained at the auto repair shop from approximately 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. while his vehicle was
    being repaired. However, he also told counsel that he spent the day at his church doing volunteer
    work and he presented documentation in support of that claim. The trial court found that defendant
    presented defense counsel with multiple alibi claims that were incompatible, and that defense
    counsel reasonably believed that defendant was “attempting to engage in a fraud on the Court in
    presenting false alibi testimony.” Under these circumstances, the court concluded that “it was
    reasonable for [defense counsel] to refuse to present any evidence regarding Defendant’s
    conflicting alibis.”
    On appeal, defendant argues that defense counsel was ineffective for not presenting an alibi
    defense founded on the repair shop invoice. As defendant observes, the invoice is dated August
    2, and the repair shop owner testified at the evidentiary hearing that defendant arrived at the shop
    at approximately 10:30 a.m. and remained there until approximately 3:30 p.m. when the repairs
    were completed. Although this evidence would have supported an alibi defense, defense counsel
    was also presented with two conflicting alibis. Defendant also presented documentation indicating
    that he was doing volunteer work at his church on the date of the alleged offense. That
    documentation included a letter that merely stated that defendant volunteered at the church on
    Saturdays in 2014, but without specifying any dates or times. Defendant also presented a timecard,
    which indicated that defendant worked from 10:17 until 11:17 on August 2. Apart from the fact
    that the timecard would not have provided an alibi for that afternoon, it conflicted with defendant’s
    claim that he was at the auto repair shop from approximately 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. that day.
    In addition, defense counsel explained that when he investigated the church documentation, he
    was informed that the church would not have sent the letter that defendant produced, and that the
    church did not use the type of timecard that defendant produced.
    -3-
    Defense counsel testified that it was his belief that defendant had falsified the documentary
    evidence to fabricate an alibi defense, and he told defendant that he would not be involved in
    perpetrating any fraud on the court. According to counsel, after many argumentative discussions,
    during which they discussed whether defendant wanted another attorney to represent him,
    defendant insisted that he wanted defense counsel to continue to represent him, and defendant
    ultimately acknowledged and agreed that they would not present an alibi defense. The trial court
    found that defense counsel’s testimony was credible and that it was reasonable for counsel to doubt
    the veracity of defendant’s purported alibi defense, and therefore, not pursue that defense. We
    defer to the trial court’s superior position to judge the witnesses’ credibility.
    Defendant argues that if defense counsel truly believed that defendant was trying to
    perpetrate a fraud, he should have withdrawn from the case. Defendant suggests that the fact that
    counsel did not withdraw undermines the credibility of his testimony. However, counsel explained
    that he had several discussions with defendant regarding whether defendant should obtain new
    representation, but defendant wanted counsel to continue representing him despite counsel’s
    unwillingness to present an alibi defense, and defendant ultimately agreed to forgo an alibi defense.
    The trial court found this explanation credible. Under these circumstances, it was appropriate for
    counsel to continue representing defendant and there was no reason to withdraw.
    In sum, the trial court did not clearly err by finding that defense counsel reasonably
    declined to pursue an alibi defense.
    2. ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
    Defendant also argues that defense counsel was ineffective for not calling additional
    witnesses who could have testified that, approximately a month after the alleged offense, the
    complainant was present at the condominium complex’s swimming pool while defendant was
    overseeing the pool area. Defendant argues that this testimony could have impeached the
    complainant’s testimony that she was fearful of defendant after the offense. Defense counsel
    explained, in part, that he did not believe these witnesses would have offered admissible testimony.
    The trial court found that counsel’s failure to call the witnesses did not constitute ineffective
    assistance of counsel because it likely would have excluded their testimony and, in any event, there
    was not a reasonable probability that the testimony would have produced a different result.
    It is difficult to determine whether the witnesses’ testimony would have been admissible
    because the substance of their testimony is not known. Defendant had the burden of presenting
    factual support for his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Hoag, 
    460 Mich at 6
    . Defendant
    did not call the witnesses in question at the evidentiary hearing or otherwise present an offer of
    proof showing the substance of their testimony. Accordingly, we are left without an adequate
    factual record for determining whether their testimony would have been admissible, or for
    determining whether the failure to call the witnesses deprived defendant of a substantial defense.
    Regardless, defense counsel also explained that he did not want to introduce evidence
    related to the complainant’s presence at the pool while defendant was there because it would have
    opened the door to testimony involving defendant’s role in caring for the pool. A substantial
    portion of the defense strategy was to show that defendant had physical limitations that
    significantly limited his activities and would have precluded him from committing the offense in
    -4-
    the manner described by the complainant. Counsel explained that calling the witnesses would
    have risked opening the door to testimony about defendant’s responsibilities in caring for the pool,
    which could have undermined the defense theory that defendant’s physical limitations prevented
    him from doing what the complainant described. Defendant has not overcome the presumption
    that counsel reasonably declined to call these witnesses as a matter of trial strategy.
    3. JURY INSTRUCTIONS
    Defendant also argues that defense counsel was ineffective for not timely objecting to the
    trial court’s jury’s instructions. As discussed in Section II, infra, the trial court’s jury instructions
    were not improper. Because any objection would have been futile, and counsel is not required to
    make a futile objection, defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to object. People v Green,
    
    322 Mich App 676
    , 687; 913 NW2d 385 (2018).
    4. DATE DISCREPANCY
    Defendant again argues that defense counsel was ineffective for not proceeding with an
    alibi defense based on the auto shop invoice after it became apparent that August 2, not August 1,
    was the date on which the offense allegedly was committed. As discussed earlier, however,
    although counsel was initially mistaken about the date, counsel had legitimate reasons for doubting
    the veracity of defendant’s alibi claims for August 2 because defendant presented conflicting
    alibis, including documentation that he was doing volunteer work at his church on that date, which
    would have conflicted with the auto repair shop alibi, and counsel’s investigation raised questions
    regarding the veracity of the documentation submitted by defendant. In addition, according to
    counsel, after he confronted defendant with the problems with the alibis, defendant ultimately
    agreed to forgo an alibi defense. Therefore, the date discrepancy does not compel a different result.
    B. ADDITIONAL INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE CLAIMS
    Defendant argues that defense counsel was ineffective for not objecting to hearsay
    testimony from the complainant’s father and from the officer in charge. We disagree. Hearsay is
    an out-of-court statement offered at trial to prove the truth of the matter asserted therein. MRE
    801(c).
    Defendant challenges the testimony of the complainant’s father, who stated that after the
    complainant attended a counseling session, the complainant’s counselor told him what the
    complainant had reported during the session and then told the complainant’s father that he needed
    to report the matter to the police. However, the complainant’s father did not reveal what the
    counselor told him regarding the complainant’s allegations. Further, to the extent that the
    testimony suggested that the counselor told the complainant’s father about the nature of the
    complainant’s allegations, this testimony was not offered to prove the truth of the allegations. It
    was offered only to explain why the complainant’s father took the next step of making a police
    report. Therefore, the testimony was not inadmissible hearsay. Because any hearsay objection
    would have been futile, defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to object on that basis.
    Green, 322 Mich App at 687.
    -5-
    Defendant also argues defense counsel was ineffective for failing to object to hearsay
    testimony by Detective Milke. While discussing the history of this case, Detective Milke recalled
    that an initial report was made on February 13 and the case was assigned to him the following
    week. He recounted that the initial report was made at the front desk and involved “allegations of
    a home invasion . . . with a potential of an assault involving a juvenile victim.” Detective Milke
    did not provide any details about the information in the initial report, including whether there was
    a possible sexual assault. Defendant suggests that Detective Milke relied on this initial report to
    conclude that the complainant’s allegations were credible because they remained consistent.
    While Detective Milke confirmed that the complainant was consistent when he spoke to her, he
    did not base that opinion on the initial report to the front desk. Because this testimony appeared
    to be offered to show the procedural history of the case, and not to prove the truth of the allegations
    reported at the front desk, defendant has not shown that the testimony was inadmissible hearsay.
    As such, defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to object to this testimony.
    Defendant also argues that defense counsel was ineffective for not objecting to the
    prosecutor’s remarks during closing arguments. The challenged comments are discussed in
    Section III, infra. As explained in that section, the prosecutor’s arguments for the most part were
    not improper; and therefore, an objection would have been futile. Green, 322 Mich App at 687.
    Moreover, to the extent that any of the remarks could be viewed as improper, the trial court’s jury
    instructions were sufficient to cure any perceived prejudice and protect defendant’s right to a fair
    trial. Therefore, defendant cannot establish that he was prejudiced by counsel’s failure to object.
    II. JURY INSTRUCTIONS
    Defendant argues that reversal is required because the trial court gave an erroneous
    supplemental jury instruction after the jury began deliberations. He also argues that the court
    erroneously instructed the jury regarding the date of the offense. Only the latter claim was
    preserved with an appropriate objection at trial. This Court reviews a preserved claim of
    instructional error involving a question of law de novo, but reviews the trial court’s determination
    that a jury instruction applies to the facts of the case for an abuse of discretion. People v Craft,
    
    325 Mich App 598
    , 604; 927 NW2d 708 (2018). Unpreserved issues are reviewed for plain error
    affecting substantial rights. People v Carines, 
    460 Mich 750
    , 763; 597 NW2d 130 (1999).
    “Instructions are read as a whole rather than extracted piecemeal to determine whether
    error requiring reversal occurred.” McGhee, 268 Mich App at 606. “Jury instructions must clearly
    present the case and the applicable law to the jury.” Id. This Court “will not reverse where the
    jury instructions fairly presented the issues to be tried and sufficiently protected the defendant’s
    rights.” People v Eisen, 
    296 Mich App 326
    , 330; 820 NW2d 229 (2012) (quotations and citation
    omitted).
    After the jury began deliberations, it sent a note to the court asking, “If we cannot arrive at
    a unanimous verdict, what do we do?” The court responded by giving the following instructions:
    You must have a unanimous verdict. There is no other options [sic] in
    criminal trials. I’m going to ask you to please return to the jury room and resume
    your deliberations in the hope that further discussions will help you be able to
    -6-
    render a verdict. As you deliberate, please keep in mind the guidelines I gave you
    earlier. Of course, you all have that large packet of jury instructions.
    Remember, it is your duty to consult with your fellow jurors and try to reach
    an agreement, if you can do so without violating your own judgement. To return a
    verdict again, you must all agree and it must represent your own individual
    judgement. As you deliberate, you should carefully and seriously consider the
    views of your fellow jurors, talk things over in a spirit of fairness and frankness.
    Obviously, there will be some differences of opinion and you should not only
    express your opinion, but also give the facts and the reasons for why you have that
    opinion and sometimes by reasoning the matter out, jurors can often reach some
    agreement. If you think it would be helpful again, you could submit questions that
    maybe you’re hung up on that I can give you some legal direction. And, again,
    write a note and give it to my court officer, if you do. When you continue in your
    deliberations, do not hesitate to re-think your own views, and change your opinion
    if you decide you were wrong. However, none of you should give up your honest
    beliefs about the weight and effect of the evidence only because of what your fellow
    jurors think or for the sake of reaching agreement.
    So, ultimately, go back and talk about what your differences are and
    sometimes giving the reasons for the facts for them will give you an opportunity to
    discuss them a little bit more in depth. With that, I’m asking you please go back to
    the jury room, see what you can workout [sic].
    The trial court’s instructions generally followed the standard instruction in M Crim JI 3.12
    for deadlocked juries. The only deviation involved the added language at the beginning of the
    instruction that the jury “must have a unanimous verdict” and that “[t]here [are] no other options
    in criminal trials.” Part of this language is based on M Crim JI 3.11(3), which provides that “[a]
    verdict in a criminal case must be unanimous.”
    Although defendant argues that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury on the
    option of a mistrial if the jury is unable to reach a verdict, that is an option for the trial court, not
    a jury. Further, viewed in context, the court’s statement that “[t]here is no other options in criminal
    trials” relates to the requirement of unanimity. It is well-settled that a verdict in a criminal case
    must be unanimous. Indeed, that requirement is specified in M Crim JI 3.11(3), which was given
    to the jury. The jury did not have the option of returning a verdict that was not unanimous. A jury
    should be made aware of its obligation to make an effort to reach a verdict, if it can, which is
    exactly what the court’s supplemental instructions addressed. Viewing the court’s supplemental
    instructions in their entirety, the court properly advised the jury to continue deliberating “in the
    hope that further discussions will help you be able to render a verdict,” but it also made clear that
    the jury could ask additional questions if it thought that further direction was necessary, and that
    individual jurors should not set aside their honest beliefs only for the sake of reaching agreement.
    There is no basis for believing that the court’s instructions caused juror confusion or caused the
    jury to reach a compromised verdict. Accordingly, defendant has not shown that the trial court’s
    supplemental instructions were improper.
    -7-
    Defendant also argues that the trial court erred when, in its instructions on the elements of
    assault with intent to commit CSC-II, it added at the end that “[t]he prosecutor must also prove
    beyond a reasonable doubt that [this] crime occurred on or about August 1, 2014 within Macomb
    County.” Defendant argues that this instruction was erroneous, and likely confused the jury,
    because the testimony at trial established the date of the offense as being August 2, 2014.
    Although we agree that the testimony at trial indicated that the offense was committed on
    August 2, there was also testimony that the detective mistakenly identified the date of the offense
    as August 1 in his report. The information alleged that the offense was committed “on or about
    August 1.” Thus, it was appropriate for the jury to consider the August 1 date. Further, we disagree
    with defendant’s argument that the court’s instruction was confusing. The court instructed the
    jury, consistent with the information, that the prosecution was required to prove that the offense
    “occurred on or about August 1, 2014.” The jury could reasonably find that this instruction
    encompassed the August 2 date identified in the testimony at trial. Moreover, the reason for the
    discrepancy between the two dates was clearly explained to the jury. There is no basis for
    concluding that this instruction was the reason the jury initially was unable to reach a verdict or
    caused the jury to reach a compromised verdict. Therefore, we reject this claim of error.
    III. PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT
    Defendant also argues that improper remarks by the prosecutor during closing argument
    denied him a fair trial. Defendant concedes that there was no objection to the challenged remarks
    at trial, and therefore, his claims of misconduct are unpreserved. Review of an unpreserved claim
    of prosecutorial misconduct “is limited to whether plain error affecting substantial rights
    occurred.” People v Abraham, 
    256 Mich App 265
    , 274; 662 NW2d 836 (2003). This Court will
    not reverse if the prejudicial effect of the prosecutor’s conduct could have been cured by a timely
    instruction from the trial court. People v Williams, 
    265 Mich App 68
    , 70-71; 692 NW2d 722
    (2005), aff’d 
    475 Mich 101
     (2006).
    Claims of prosecutorial misconduct are decided case by case and the challenged conduct
    must be viewed in context. People v McElhaney, 
    215 Mich App 269
    , 283; 545 NW2d 18 (1996).
    The test for prosecutorial misconduct is whether the defendant was denied a fair trial. People v
    Bahoda, 
    448 Mich 261
    , 266-267; 531 NW2d 659 (1995).
    A prosecutor is afforded great latitude during closing argument. A prosecutor may not
    make a statement of fact that is unsupported by the evidence, but he is permitted to argue the
    evidence and reasonable inferences arising from the evidence in support of his theory of the case.
    Bahoda, 
    448 Mich at 282
    ; People v Ackerman, 
    257 Mich App 434
    , 450; 669 NW2d 818 (2003).
    The prosecutor must refrain from making prejudicial remarks, but a prosecutor is not required to
    phrase his or her arguments in the blandest of terms; rather, the prosecutor may use “hard
    language” when the evidence supports it. Bahoda, 
    448 Mich at 282-283
    ; People v Ullah, 
    216 Mich App 669
    , 678; 550 NW2d 568 (1996). It is improper for a prosecutor to express personal
    knowledge or a personal belief regarding the credibility of a witness, or to vouch for the credibility
    of a witness by implying some special knowledge about the witness’s truthfulness. Bahoda, 
    448 Mich at 276
    ; People v Meissner, 
    294 Mich App 438
    , 456; 812 NW2d 37 (2011); People v Thomas,
    
    260 Mich App 450
    , 455; 678 NW2d 631 (2004). But a prosecutor may comment on a witness’s
    credibility and argue from the evidence that a witness is credible. 
    Id.
    -8-
    Defendant argues that the prosecutor improperly appealed to the jurors to sympathize for
    the complainant when she argued that the complainant’s personal and family circumstances made
    her particularly vulnerable and that defendant “preyed on that vulnerability.” A prosecutor may
    not appeal to the jury to sympathize with the victim. People v Unger, 
    278 Mich App 210
    , 237;
    749 NW2d 272 (2008). The prosecutor’s remarks were directed at the victim’s circumstances, but
    they did not involve an obvious appeal for sympathy. To the extent that the remarks could have
    been perceived in that manner, the trial court’s instruction to the jury that “you must not let
    sympathy or prejudice influence your decision” was sufficient to alleviate any prejudice and
    protect defendant’s substantial rights.
    Defendant further argues that the remarks were improper because there was no evidence
    that he knew that the complainant was in counseling because of her parents’ relationship.
    However, the prosecutor’s remarks addressed several factors that made the complainant
    vulnerable. Moreover, the prosecutor presented evidence that defendant was a neighbor and close
    family friend, it was defendant’s position that the complainant was a friend of defendant’s
    daughter, and there was evidence that defendant and the complainant frequently exchanged text
    messages. This evidence supported an inference that defendant was familiar with the
    complainant’s personal and family circumstances that made her vulnerable, and that he was in a
    position to exploit those vulnerabilities. Accordingly, defendant has not shown that the remarks
    were improper because the evidence did not support them. Further, the trial court instructed the
    jury that “the lawyers’ statements and arguments are not evidence” and it “should only accept the
    things that the lawyers say that are supported by the evidence and by your own common sense and
    general knowledge.” These instructions were sufficient to protect defendant’s substantial rights.
    Defendant also argues that the prosecutor improperly bolstered the complainant’s
    testimony by arguing that she consistently told the same account throughout the case. These
    remarks were supported by a police officer’s testimony that the complainant’s account remained
    consistent throughout her statement, as well as the testimony of her mother, a defense witness,
    who testified that the complainant told “exactly the same story every single time we brought it
    up.” We agree, however, that the prosecutor referred to some occasions when the complainant
    repeated her allegations that were not a matter of evidence. However, an appropriate instruction
    upon timely objection could have cured any perceived prejudice in this regard. Moreover, even
    without an objection, the trial court’s instructions that “the lawyers’ statements and arguments are
    not evidence” and that the jury “should only accept the things that the lawyers say that are
    supported by the evidence” were sufficient to protect defendant’s substantial rights. Accordingly,
    these remarks did not deny defendant a fair trial.
    Defendant also argues that it was improper for the prosecutor to refer to him as a
    “predator.” Although a prosecutor must refrain from using intemperate and prejudicial remarks to
    denigrate a defendant, a prosecutor may use “hard language” when the evidence supports it.
    Bahoda, 
    448 Mich at 282-283
    ; Ullah, 216 Mich App at 678. The prosecutor’s theory at trial was
    that it was the 52-year-old defendant, not his daughter, who exchanged the series of flirtatious and
    suggestive text messages with the 13-year-old complainant. The prosecutor’s comment that
    defendant was a “sexual predator” was supported by the significant age difference between
    defendant and the complainant, the nature of the text messages that were sent from defendant’s
    phone to the complainant’s phone, and the complainant’s testimony that defendant entered her
    -9-
    residence while she was alone and attempted to remove her pants. Therefore, the remarks were
    not improper.
    Affirmed, but remanded for correction of the judgment of sentence in accordance with this
    opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
    /s/ Elizabeth L. Gleicher
    /s/ David H. Sawyer
    /s/ Patrick M. Meter
    -10-