Opinion ID: 1621897
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: officer thomas' testimony

Text: Kinder asserts that the trial court erred in its admission of Officer Thomas' testimony. Officer Thomas first interrogated Kinder on the night of December 22, 1990, and again about a week later. During this second questioning, Thomas asked Kinder if he would swear on the Bible that he was not involved in Cynthia Williams' death. Thomas testified that Kinder said that he would, but that he refused to do so with his legs uncrossed. Kinder's position is that the testimony was irrelevant and that its admission was a violation of due process and an improper comment on his constitutional right to remain silent. In ruling on the relevance of evidence, trial courts are given broad discretion, and without a clear showing of an abuse of that discretion, appellate courts will not interfere with the trial court's ruling. State v. Parkhurst, 845 S.W.2d 31, 36 (Mo. banc 1992). In this instance, Kinder's unwillingness to swear to his innocence on the Bible with his legs uncrossed was relevant to show Kinder's consciousness of his guilt. Furthermore, the testimony was not an improper comment on Kinder's right to remain silent, because evidence of a defendant's silence or refusal to answer questions is only disallowed if the defendant was in custody. See Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976); State v. Hornbeck, 492 S.W.2d 802 (Mo.1973). As noted, Kinder was not in custody at the time of the questioning. Officer Thomas' testimony was properly admitted.