Opinion ID: 2778081
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Improper Comments During Voir Dire

Text: Cox claims that the trial judge violated his due process rights by making improper comments during voir dire. Cox references several statements made by the trial judge to jury members. The trial judge offered several reasons why a defendant may decide not to testify at trial. The court then emphasized that, regardless of a defendant’s reasons for not testifying, jurors cannot hold his failure to testify against him. Cox suggests that these statements “were calculated to wrongfully impute guilt to [the] defendant.” The district court rejected Cox’s claim, explaining that the trial court’s statements sought “to uphold, not undermine, petitioner’s presumption of innocence and his right not to testify.” We agree. The record does not suggest that these comments were “of such character that the jury would naturally and necessarily take it to be a comment on the failure of the accused to testify,” as required to raise a constitutional violation. United States v. Rocha, 916 F.2d 219, 232 (5th Cir. 1990) (citation and quotations omitted).