Bell v. State
Bell v. State
Opinion of the Court
The defendant, Reginald Bell, appeals his conviction and sentence for sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a place of worship. The defendant allegedly sold drugs to an undercover officer out of his home. The defendant presented the testimony of his girlfriend who stated she was with him on the night of the crime. During closing argument, in discussing the different witnesses’ testimonies, the State argued:
Is it worth it, is it worth it for these two cops who have been with the force for over twelve years to fabricate and falsify police reports, arrest someone that they felt like arresting, and then come in here after taking an oath, lie in a Court of law to the jury panel—
Defense counsel immediately objected, claiming the argument was improper bolstering of the police officer’s testimony.
Reversed and remanded for a new trial.
. Although two undercover officers testified, only one identified the defendant as the perpetrator.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.