Is a prosecutor prohibited from vouching for the credibility of her witnesses?

The prosecutor "is generally precluded from vouching for the credibility of her witnesses, or referring to evidence outside the record to bolster their credibility or attack that of the defendant." (People v. Anderson (1990) 52 Cal.3d 453, 479.) Thus a prosecutor is not permitted " 'to place the prestige of [his] office behind a witness by offering the impression that [he] has taken steps to assure a witness's truthfulness at trial. [Citation.] However, so long as a prosecutor's assurances regarding the apparent honesty or reliability of prosecution witnesses are based on the "facts of [the] record and the inferences reasonably drawn therefrom, rather than any purported personal knowledge or

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belief," [his] comments cannot be characterized as improper vouching. [Citations.]' [Citation.]" (Ward, supra, 36 Cal.4th at p. 215.)