Opinion ID: 514627
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Leg Irons.

Text: 33 Gilmore next contends that the district court erred in rejecting his claim that his fifth amendment rights were violated when he was forced to wear leg irons at trial. Both the district court and the Missouri Supreme Court dismissed Gilmore's claim on the dual grounds that (1) the trial court did not abuse its discretion in restraining Gilmore for security purposes; and (2) the jurors were unable to observe the restraints. Gilmore v. Armontrout, 681 F.Supp. at 636; State v. Gilmore, 661 S.W.2d at 525. We agree that in these circumstances, the presumption of innocence afforded to Gilmore, as a criminal defendant, was not abridged, and that no constitutional violation occurred. 34 The Supreme Court has characterized the use of shackles as inherently prejudicial, Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. 560, 568, 106 S.Ct. 1340, 1345, 89 L.Ed.2d 525 (1986), noting both that the sight of shackles and gags might have a significant effect on the jury's feelings about the defendant, and that the use of [shackles] is itself something of an affront to the very dignity and decorum of judicial proceedings. Id. (quoting Illinois v. Allen, 397 U.S. 337, 344, 90 S.Ct. 1057, 1061, 25 L.Ed.2d 353 (1970)). See also People v. Roman, 35 N.Y.2d 978, 979, 324 N.E.2d 885, 886, 365 N.Y.S.2d 527, 528 (1975) (per curiam) (A defendant is presumed innocent and he is entitled to appear in court with the dignity and the self-respect of a free and innocent man.). Consequently, shackling is subject to close judicial scrutiny in order to ascertain whether it was necessary for the furtherance of an essential state interest. See Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. at 568, 106 S.Ct. at 1345. 35 In ordering Gilmore to wear leg irons, the trial court expressly found that Gilmore presented a security threat because he had been charged with several other capital murders and, in one instance, had been tried and convicted. Clearly, the safety of a state's courtrooms is an essential state interest justifying the use of restraints. See id. Furthermore, federal courts have repeatedly recognized that a trial court's decision concerning courtroom security is accorded broad discretion and will not be reversed absent a showing of abuse. See, e.g., Wilson v. McCarthy, 770 F.2d 1482, 1484 (9th Cir.1985); Harrell v. Israel, 672 F.2d 632, 636 (7th Cir.1982); Payne v. Smith, 667 F.2d 541, 544 (6th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 932, 102 S.Ct. 1983, 72 L.Ed.2d 449 (1982). There is no evidence that the trial court abused its discretion in the present case. 36 Of equal importance, we reiterate the findings of both the district court and the Missouri Supreme Court that Gilmore's legs were under the counsel table and that the jury at no time was able to observe the restraints. In this connection, the record further reflects that the trial court ordered that Gilmore not be moved in the presence of the jury. Relatedly, the record discloses that the court recessed prior to Gilmore's testimony, permitting Gilmore to approach the witness stand outside the presence of the jury. In these circumstances, we have little difficulty concluding that the jury did not observe anything so prejudicial as to pose an unacceptable threat to [Gilmore's] right to a fair trial. Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. at 572, 106 S.Ct. at 1347. Furthermore, we note that Gilmore never objected to the use of restraints. See Estelle v. Williams, 425 U.S. 501, 512-13, 96 S.Ct. 1691, 1696-97, 48 L.Ed.2d 126 (1976) (failure to object to being tried in prison attire is sufficient to negate a constitutional violation). Accordingly, we conclude that the district court committed no error in rejecting this claim. 37