Opinion ID: 554963
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Right To Silence

Text: 14 Gabay's case agent testified at trial that shortly after Gabay's arrest, Gabay was asked some questions which he agreed to answer. The case agent explained that after answering several questions, Gabay stated that he did not want to answer any more questions. A side-bar discussion immediately followed, and the jury was instructed to disregard the statement that Gabay did not want to speak further with the agent. Gabay moved for a mistrial and his motion was denied. 15 Gabay now argues that this reference to his silence, in front of the jury, entitles him to a new trial. He asserts it is fundamentally unfair to simultaneously afford a suspect a constitutional right to silence following arrest and yet allow implications of that silence to be used against him. Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976); United States v. Rosenthal, 793 F.2d 1214, 1243 (11th Cir.1986). 16 To warrant a new trial, an improper prosecutorial comment must be so pronounced as to permeate the entire atmosphere of the trial and not be cured by an instruction by the district judge. United States v. Creamer, 721 F.2d 342, 345 (11th Cir.1983); United States v. Reed, 887 F.2d 1398, 1402 (11th Cir.1989). The trial court's prompt admonishment of the jury to disregard the improper testimony of the agent served to cure the error. United States v. Holman, 680 F.2d 1340, 1352 (11th Cir.1982). The strong evidence of Gabay's guilt, combined with the trial court's prompt curative instructions, reduced the agent's testimony, even if improper, to harmless error. Creamer, 721 F.2d at 345.