Opinion ID: 685668
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Prosecutorial Comments on Mende's Silence.

Text: 6 Mende first argues that during the government's rebuttal argument, the prosecutor impermissibly commented on Mende's failure to testify, thereby violating Mende's Fifth Amendment 1 privilege against self-incrimination. Throughout the course of the trial, the defense had characterized the government's evidence as a few nonrepresentative bad deals that the government had selectively presented. In response, the prosecutor reminded the jury that the defense had failed to present any evidence of prior successful business deals. Counsel for co-defendant Samuel Longo objected to the statement and moved for a mistrial on the grounds that this statement improperly commented on the defendants' failure to testify. Counsel for Mende joined in the motion for a mistrial. After a brief discussion, the court denied the motion for mistrial, but invited defense counsel to request an additional curative jury instruction on this issue. None was requested. 7 In Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 615, 85 S.Ct. 1229, 1233, 14 L.Ed.2d 106 (1965), the Supreme Court held that the self-incrimination clause of the Fifth Amendment forbids either comment by the prosecution on the accused's silence or instructions by the court that such silence is evidence of guilt. The test to determine the existence of a Griffin violation is whether the language used was manifestly intended or was of such a character that the jury would naturally and necessarily take it to be a comment on the failure to testify. United States v. Fleishman, 684 F.2d 1329, 1343 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1044, 103 S.Ct. 464, 74 L.Ed.2d 614 (1982). We review potential Griffin violations de novo. United States v. Mares, 940 F.2d 455, 461 (9th Cir.1991); but see U.S. v. Hoac, 990 F.2d 1099, 1103-04 (9th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1075, 127 L.Ed.2d 392 (1994). 8 There is a distinction between a comment on the defense's failure to present exculpatory evidence as opposed to a comment on the defendant's failure to testify. This Court has recognized that  'a prosecutor may properly comment upon the defendant's failure to present exculpatory evidence, as long as it is not phrased to call attention to defendant's own failure to testify.'  United States v. Lopez-Alvarez, 970 F.2d 583, 595-96 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 504, 121 L.Ed.2d 440 (1992) (quoting United States v. Bagley, 772 F.2d 482, 494-95 (9th Cir.1985), cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1023, 106 S.Ct. 1215, 89 L.Ed.2d 326 (1986)). It is equally clear that  '[a] comment on the failure of the defense as opposed to the defendant to counter or explain the testimony presented or evidence introduced is not an infringement of the defendant's Fifth Amendment privilege.'  United States v. Castillo, 866 F.2d 1071, 1083 (9th Cir.1988) (quoting United States v. Dearden, 546 F.2d 622, 625 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 902, 98 S.Ct. 295, 54 L.Ed.2d 188 (1977)). 9 Viewed in its proper context, the prosecutor's comment in this case did not call attention to Mende's failure to testify. The comment instead addressed the defense's failure to produce any evidence of paid guaranties or any other prior successful business transactions in support of Mende's claim that the government had deliberately withheld evidence of his legitimate business activities in order to create the illusion of wrongdoing. This conclusion is supported by the language of the prosecutor's comment itself, which specifically mentioned the availability of subpoena power to call additional witnesses and reminded the jury that the defendant was in fact under no obligation to take the stand and testify. 10