Opinion ID: 1771774
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 37

Heading: Discussion of the Merits

Text: ś 82. Puckett cites the United States Supreme Court's decision in Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976), and this Court's decisions in Quick v. State, 569 So.2d 1197 (Miss.1990) and Johnson v. State, 596 So.2d 865 (Miss.1992) as authority for his argument that the prosecution erred by questioning Puckett about his post- Miranda silence. However, a review of these cases reveals that the case at bar is clearly distinguishable. ś 83. First of all it should be noted that the Miranda warnings inform defendants of their right to remain silent, and that any thing they do say can and will be used against them in a court of law. In Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), the United States Supreme Court held that the prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or inculpatory, stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination. Id. at 444, 86 S.Ct. 1602 (emphasis added). In reference to procedural safeguards the Supreme Court stated [p]rior to any questioning, the person must be warned that he has a right to remain silent, that any statement he does make may be used as evidence against him, and that he has a right to the presence of an attorney, either retained or appointed. Id. (emphasis added). Accordingly, when a defendant does not heed these warnings and invoke his right to silence, but voluntarily makes statements, it is not error for the prosecution to use these statements at trial against the defendant. ś 84. Secondly, the defendants in Doyle and Quick invoked their right to silence and made no statements to the police at the time of their arrest. Additionally, in Johnson, it was not clear from the record whether the defendant had invoked his right to silence. Johnson, 596 So.2d at 866. This is obviously distinguishable from the case at bar since it is evident from the record that Puckett did not invoke his right to silence and made voluntary statements at the time of his arrest. As this Court stated in Quick, [i]t is improper and, ordinarily, reversible error to comment on the accused's post- Miranda silence. Quick, 569 So.2d at 1199 (emphasis added). Furthermore, as then Presiding Justice Hawkins pointed out [i]n Doyle the U.S. Supreme Court held that if an accused under arrest was given a Miranda warning and told that he had a right to remain silent, and the accused did remain silent, that the government thereafter could not use his choice of remaining silent as a weapon during his trial testimony cross-examination to cast suspicion on his guilt or innocence. Simply put, the government cannot use an accused's exercise of a Constitutional right as a weapon to convict him.... Johnson, 596 So.2d at 869 (Hawkins, P.J., dissenting) (emphasis added). ś 85. The purpose of Miranda is to protect the defendant's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination by affording him the right to remain silent. However, if the defendant does not take advantage of his right to remain silent, any statements he voluntarily makes can and will be used against him in a court of law. The United States Supreme Court's holding in Doyle simply reiterates that the defendant's silence cannot be used against him during cross-examination. However, because Puckett did not invoke his right to silence, and made voluntary statements, the Miranda and Doyle provisions do not apply. To hold otherwise would not only afford the defendant the right not to incriminate himself by remaining silent but would also afford him the right not to incriminate himself by making voluntary statements which are inconsistent with his testimony at trial. This would ultimately grant a defendant who chooses to be a witness in his own defense more protection than that granted to any other witness. ś 86. In the case at bar, after being placed under arrest and being read his Miranda warnings, Puckett made voluntary statements to his mother as well as to law enforcement officials. Specifically, in addition to other statements, Puckett made a comment to the effect that this is a lot of law enforcement for somebody who just committed a burglary. This statement is inconsistent with his assertion at trial, that he had hid in the woods because he was scared of David Griffis after witnessing Griffis brutally murder his wife. Puckett's statement upon his arrest indicated that he was running from the police after committing a burglary. However, Puckett's statement at trial indicate that he was running from the police because he was afraid of Griffis. Therefore, the prosecutor's questions upon cross-examination are admissible under Miss. R. Evid. 613 to show that Puckett's prior statements were inconsistent with his statements at trial. ś 87. Accordingly, this Court finds that this issue is without merit and thus does not constitute plain error.