A Manhattan prosecutor’s appeal to the emotions of a jury during his summation in a high-profile murder case was “excessive,” but legally “harmless” and did not warrant upsetting the guilty verdict, an appeals panel has ruled.
Despite faulting the prosecutor’s tone, the Appellate Division, First Department, last week upheld the conviction of Paul Cortez, who was found guilty in 2007 for the stabbing death of Catherine Woods, a stripper and aspiring Broadway dancer, a case that drew international attention.
