evidentiary harpoon
- An improper piece of evidence, typically represented by a statement from a law enforcement officer, that the prosecution knowingly presents with the intention to unfairly bias the jury against the defendant
- The defense objected to the seeming evidentiary harpoon when the officer's personal opinion was stated to the jury.
- To ensure fair trials, courts take precautions to prevent the use of an evidentiary harpoon.
- The mention of the defendant's past, unrelated crimes was deemed an evidentiary harpoon and resulted in a mistrial.
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