Opinion ID: 3013258
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Comment on Brennan’s Failure to Testify

Text: In Griffin v. State of California, the Supreme Court held “that the Fifth Amendment, in its direct application to the Federal Government . . . forbids either comment by the prosecution on the accused’s silence or instructions by the court that such silence is evidence of guilt.” 380 U.S. 609, 615 (1965). A remark is directed to a defendant’s silence when “ ‘the language used was manifestly intended or was of such character that the jury would naturally and necessarily take it to be a comment on the failure of the accused to testify.’ ” Bontempo v. Fenton, 692 F.2d 954, 959 (3d Cir. 1982) (quoting United States v. Chaney, 446 F.2d 571, 576 (3d Cir. 1971)). Statements regarding the “absence of facts in the record[,]” however, “need not be taken as comment on [a] defendant’s failure to testify.” Bontempo, 692 F.2d at 959 (citing Braxton v. Estelle, 641 F.2d 392, 397 (5th Cir. 1981)); see also Brown, 254 F.3d at 462-63 (statements by prosecutor in summation did not impermissibly comment on defendant’s silence or shift burden of proof to the defense); United States v. Isaac, 134 F.3d 199, 206-07 (3d Cir. 1998) (prosecutor did not violate 5th amendment by stating in his closing argument that “[the defendant] captained that boat from Jamaica, and the 14 only people who would know that [the defendant] captained that boat from Jamaica are [the defendant], Conrad Brown, Irvin Reid, and that fourth individual in Jamaica. Those are the only people”). In the instant case, Brennan argues that the prosecution improperly commented on his failure to testify and suggested to the jury that he had the burden to produce evidence. He points to the following remarks by the prosecution on rebuttal regarding the transfer of the bearer bonds: The next thing that happened is in June, 1995 Mr. Bond says, Mr. Brennan gave him $4 million thereabouts in bearer bonds. We agree there’s no direct evidence of this, except Mr. Bond’s testimony. There was nobody else there except Mr. Brennan and Mr. Gaito [Brennan’s accountant]. There’s also no evidence that this didn’t happen. Mr. Critchley [defense counsel] spent a lot of time on this. On the plane record, the telephone record, credit card record. None of it proves anything. It’s — it is an argument that Mr. Bond changed the date from June 5 to June 10th. Somehow this is supposed to show that Mr. Bond is lying about the whole thing. This is more a power of suggestion. If you hear it often enough that it — you know, it’s changed from June 5th to June 10th indicates that he’s lying, maybe you’ll believe it. But there’s no indication that it means anything. The evidence is that he always said he never knew exactly what the date was. What he knew is that it happened when he was taking a trip with his family to Disneyland . . . That’s what he always said. He was here in late May, early June. He didn’t know exactly when during that trip this occurred. What’s clear is that he was in the United States during that period. What’s also clear is that he was at Due Process Farm. He described it to you in detail. You didn’t hear that description challenged by the defense. Why? Because it was very, very accurate. In addition, Brennan challenges the rhetorical questions of the prosecutor in his initial closing which asked where the proof was that Bond had engaged in money laundering, arms dealing, or embezzlement. He also contends that the 15 prosecution improperly compared the number of witnesses and exhibits put forth by the prosecution and defense, thereby “direct[ing] the jury to consider why Brennan had not testified.” Moreover, Brennan asserts that the prosecution shifted the burden by commenting that the three defense witnesses “knew nothing about the case” and then asked the jury to “think about the defense witnesses, and just reflect upon the fact that after four weeks of trial, they called no one who knows anything about the case.” Brennan concedes in his brief that he did not object to the remarks that he claims shifted the burden of proof, and that the issue was first raised when he filed his motion for a new trial. Thus, in the absence of an objection at trial, we must review for the presence of plain error. See Olano, 507 U.S. at 731-32. With respect to the prosecution’s remarks during rebuttal concerning the transfer of the bearer bonds, nothing in the remarks suggested that the jury should consider the fact that Brennan failed to testify. Viewed in context, the statements concerned Bond’s credibility and the fact that the record lacked evidence contradicting his testimony concerning the point in time he claimed to have received the bonds from Brennan. This was permissible argument regarding what evidence was, and was not, in the record. We declared supra that the rhetorical question concerning any proof of record that Bond engaged in money laundering was not improper vouching. Likewise, comment on the absence of evidence on this issue did not impermissibly direct the jury to consider Brennan’s election not to testify. Nor were the prosecution’s remarks about the defense’s failure to call anyone who knew anything about the case a comment on Brennan’s failure to testify. The context of this statement reveals that it was directed toward the weight the jury should accord to the testimony of the three defense witnesses. At the conclusion of the prosecutor’s review of the testimony of these witnesses, he emphasized that the jury must honor the presumption of innocence and “hold us to the burden of proof and you must be convinced of Mr. Brennan’s guilt, beyond a reasonable doubt.” Under these circumstances, this remark did not constitute an 16 impermissible reference to Brennan’s failure to take the witness stand. See United States v. Balter, 91 F.3d 427, 441 (3d Cir. 1996) (observing that prosecutor’s comment, which focused on pointing out to the jury the holes in the defense’s theory, was permissible argument). In sum, nothing in either the Government’s summation or rebuttal was improper argument. There was, therefore, no error.