Case Name: Louis Vince ULVANO, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1986-08-12
Citations: 492 So. 2d 470
Docket Number: No. 82-1157
Parties: Louis Vince ULVANO, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before HENDRY, BASKIN and JOR-GENSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 492
Pages: 470–471

Head Matter:
Louis Vince ULVANO, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 82-1157.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Aug. 12, 1986.
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Bruce A. Rosenthal, Asst. Public Defender, for appellant.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Nancy C. Wear, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.
Before HENDRY, BASKIN and JOR-GENSON, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The conviction and sentence from which the defendant appeals is reversed upon a holding that the trial court committed reversible error in denying the defendant's motion for mistrial when the prosecution in cross-examination of the defendant commented upon his post-arrest silence. A prosecutor's comment on a defendant's post-arrest silence is a serious constitutional violation. E.g., David v. State, 369 So.2d 943 (Fla.1979); Clark v. State, 363 So.2d 331 (Fla.1978); Ruiz v. State, 378 So.2d 101 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979). Further, the state did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the error complained of did not contribute to the verdict. See, e.g., State v. DiGuilio, 491 So.2d 1129 (Fla.1986); State v. Marshall, 476 So.2d 150 (Fla.1985).
Reversed and remanded for a new trial.