Opinion ID: 553323
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: He didn't want to answer any questions regarding the criminal charges against him.

Text: 79 The defendant's attorney promptly objected, and in an immediate side bar, made a motion for mistrial. After hearing from both sides, the court denied the motion and, back in the presence of the jury, issued a curative instruction focusing on a suspect's right to remain silent prior to consulting with an attorney. Special Agent Eledge's testimony then continued, showing that Gonzalez did answer some questions relating to his identity, citizenship and ownership of property. 80 It is well settled that prosecutorial comment on an accused's silence for substantive or impeachment value is constitutionally, or otherwise, prohibited. In Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976), the Supreme Court held that impeachment use of a defendant's post-arrest silence violates the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and found reversible error. Previously in United States v. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 95 S.Ct. 2133, 45 L.Ed.2d 99 (1975), the Court had used its supervisory powers over federal courts to find reversible error when the trial court permitted cross-examination of a defendant concerning his post-arrest silence. The Court held that such evidence on silence was inadmissible because its probative value was substantially outweighed by its prejudicial effect. Special Agent Eledge's answer in this case clearly constitutes an impermissible reference to an accused's exercise of his right to remain silent. 81 Such error is not necessarily fatal. This Circuit has held that the harmless error doctrine is applicable to unconstitutional comment on silence. United States v. Pena, 897 F.2d 1075, 1082-83 (11th Cir.1990); Martire v. Wainwright, 811 F.2d 1430 (11th Cir.1987); both relying on United States v. Meneses-Davila, 580 F.2d 888 (5th Cir.1978). In applying the harmless error doctrine to silence cases this Circuit has looked to an examination of the facts, the trial context of the error, and the prejudice created thereby as juxtaposed against the strength of the evidence of the defendant's guilt. Pena, 897 F.2d at 1082; Sullivan v. Alabama, 666 F.2d 478, 485 (11th Cir.1982) both citing from Meneses-Davila, 580 F.2d at 890. Using this analysis for the case at hand, we conclude that the remark complained of was harmless error. 82 The testimony accounted for one sentence and only a few moments during an eight-day trial involving multiple defendants and charges. No other instances of misconduct, of this sort or any other, occurred or were complained of. The prosecutor did not focus on, nor emphasize Special Agent Eledge's response, or Gonzalez's silence. Indeed apart from this one instance there is no further mention of Gonzalez's silence. The prosecutor did not return to this testimony either while questioning other witnesses or upon closing argument. Agent Eledge's response was not intentionally elicited by the prosecutor. 28 The improper answer was quickly objected to and a curative instruction was promptly given to the jury. Further jury instructions by the court at the trial's start and in closing also highlighted defendant's general right to silence and to not testify. 29 Additionally, as mentioned in our discussion concerning Gonzalez's evidentiary challenges, the evidence is otherwise strong to clearly indicate his involvement and agreement to the conspiracy. 83 Cases in this Circuit have looked to these and other similar circumstances in holding instances of improper comment to be harmless error. See United States v. Magdaniel-Mora, 746 F.2d 715, 722 & 724, (11th Cir.1984) (Noting fact that comment was not used for impeachment, was offered by a witness rather than the prosecutor, and dealt with failure to speak at sometime before trial, not during trial); Sullivan, 666 F.2d at 485 (Comment not used for impeachment purposes, only one reference and otherwise strong evidence of guilt); Pena, 897 F.2d at 1083 (Only momentary comment during a four-day trial, otherwise strong evidence against defendant). 84 It is true that the cases relied upon by appellant, United States v. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 95 S.Ct. 2133, 45 L.Ed.2d 99 (1975), United States v. Impson, 531 F.2d 274 (5th Cir.1976) and United States v. Henderson, 565 F.2d 900 (5th Cir.1978) found reversible error in prosecutorial comment upon the silence of an accused, and further held that curative instructions had no controlling significance. However, two of these cases did not purport to apply the harmless error doctrine and hence, upon a finding of error, mandated reversal. 30 In Hale the Supreme Court made the finding that the probative value of defendant's silence was outweighed by its prejudicial effect and did not address the possible Constitutional issue involved and therefore had no occasion to apply the harmless error doctrine. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 95 S.Ct. 2133, 45 L.Ed.2d 99. Henderson cited and relied heavily on Hale and was also decided on non-constitutional grounds. Henderson, 565 F.2d at 906. 85 Furthermore, in these cases, defendants each took the stand and presented alibi defenses. Thus in the relied upon cases the prosecutorial comment had a dual impact: one, the inference that because defendant is silent he is guilty or hiding something; and two, that defendant must have fabricated his alibi between arrest and trial because otherwise he would have told it to the police the first time. This fact that the comment on silence is particularly damaging to a defendant presenting an alibi defense was important in the Impson court's holding that the error was not harmless. Impson, 531 F.2d at 277. The latter sort of prejudice is clearly not applicable to the instant case, since Gonzalez is not now testifying to any alibi which he might have been silent as to during his arrest. 86 Finally, we note that in other contexts this Circuit has held that prosecutorial misconduct did not warrant a new trial unless so pronounced and persistent that it permeates the entire atmosphere of the trial. United States v. Creamer, 721 F.2d 342, 345 (11th Cir.1983). The touchstone of due process analysis is the fairness of the trial. United States v. Rivera, 775 F.2d 1559, 1563 (11th Cir.1985), relying on Smith v. Phillips, 455 U.S. 209, 219, 102 S.Ct. 940, 947, 71 L.Ed.2d 78, 87 (1982). The witness' one remark complained of in this case was not so substantial as to taint the overall fairness of Gonzalez's trial.