Opinion ID: 853331
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Farris' First Trial

Text: The information charged Farris with one count of aiding murder, three counts of aiding aggravated battery, and being a habitual offender. [2] On the second day of Farris' trial, the State called Littlepage to the stand. The following exchange then occurred in the presence of the jury: The Court: Would you raise your right hand for me, sir? Do you solemnly swear the testimony you shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Littlepage: I don't feel like testifying. I had already told the prosecutor. The Court: All I'm asking you, sir, is whether or not, if you do testify, you're going to testify truthfully. Littlepage: No. The trial court then dismissed the jury and convened a bench hearing to determine if Littlepage would testify. During the hearing, Littlepage said that he understood that he was under subpoena and that his plea agreement required him to testify truthfully against Farris, but he nonetheless was invoking his Fifth Amendment right because he was afraid of being killed in prison for being a snitch. [3] Farris moved for a mistrial, arguing that the prosecutors knew that Littlepage would not testify and still called him to the stand. Farris argued that Littlepage's declaration in front of the jury that he would not testify placed Farris in grave peril and was therefore reversible error. The prosecutor responded that he did not expect Littlepage to refuse to testify. The prosecutor said he had met with Littlepage several times before trial to review his testimony and only on the morning of trial had Littlepage indicated that he would not implicate Farris in the shooting. The prosecutor stated that he had believed that Littlepage would testify to the facts of the incident but would not say that Farris had threatened him or that the threat had caused him to commit these crimes. The trial court found that the prosecutor did not know that Littlepage would invoke the Fifth Amendment. Nevertheless, the trial court ruled that his doing so in front of the jury required a mistrial. Farris' second trial was scheduled to begin the next week. At no time did Farris object that the second trial would be barred by double jeopardy.