Opinion ID: 2465533
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Witness and the Fifth Amendment

Text: Donald McDougald, one of those Sellers said was with him on the night the crime was committed, was called by the prosecution as a witness. He took the stand and said he had not promised to testify. The prosecutor asked if he had accompanied the sheriff to a place where an object was found. At that point, McDougald said he would rather not testify, asserting his rights under the Fifth Amendment. The prosecutor then said: You don't rememberyou don't want to admit to whether you did that or not? Defense counsel objected to the prosecution continuing to question after the right not to testify had been asserted, and a hearing was held away from the jury. The prosecutor stated he did not know whether McDougald would assert his privilege until McDougald took the stand. McDougald was offered immunity, but he informed the court he would continue to decline to testify due to the inmate code, implying that he would be harmed by other inmates if he testified. The court declined to order McDougald to testify, but allowed McDougald to return to the stand to explain that his refusal was not because he had in any way been coerced by Sellers. The defense made no further objection to McDougald's testimony upon his return to the witness stand. We find no prejudice occurred to Sellers from this episode. McDougald said nothing which had any bearing whatever on Sellers' guilt or innocense. Even if an error was committed, and we find none, we would not reverse absent a showing that it somehow unfairly prejudiced the defendant. Taylor v. State, 299 Ark. 123, 771 S.W.2d 742 (1989); Vasquez v. State, 287 Ark. 468, 701 S.W.2d 357 (1985).