Opinion ID: 866154
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Prosecutor’s Comment Regarding Tucker’s

Text: Silence. Next, Tucker argues that the prosecutor made an improper statement that brought to the jury’s attention Tucker’s decision not to testify on his own behalf. A prosecutor may not make comments, either directly or indirectly, that lead the jury to draw a negative inference from a defendant’s decision not to testify. United States v. Hills, 618 F.3d 619, 640 (7th Cir. 2010) (citing Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 85 S.Ct. 1229, 14 L.Ed.2d 106 (1965)). It is a violation of the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination for a prosecutor to directly and adversely comment on the defendant’s failure to testify on his own behalf. Id. On the other hand, an indirect comment will be deemed improper “only if (1) the prosecutor manifestly intended to refer to the defendant’s silence or (2) a jury would naturally and necessarily take the remark for a comment on the defendant’s silence.” United States v. Mietus, 237 F.3d 866, 871 (7th Cir. 2001). In this case, during rebuttal argument, the prosecutor stated: You know, it’s one person’s witness against an- other. And in this case it’s nine witnesses against Tucker, saying that he was involved in this role, in this conspiracy. 14 No. 12-1281 Tucker finds this comment analogous to the Government’s remark in United States v. Rodriguez, 627 F.2d 110, 111 (7th Cir. 1980), where we found that the prosecutor made a direct comment on the defendant’s silence when he stated that the defendant “had been very quiet at the end of the counsel table.” We disagree that the prosecutor’s comment in this case rises to that level of impropriety, even when read in isolation. The Government, here, was not making a direct comment on Tucker’s decision not to testify, but rather on his assertion—evidenced by his not guilty plea—that he was not involved in a drug ring. Tucker also argues, in the alternative, that this remark by the prosecutor was an indirect comment on his silence. To that end, Tucker contends that we have consistently found a prosecutor’s comment insinuating that the Government’s evidence is “uncontradicted,” “undenied,” “unrebutted,” “undisputed,” etc., to be improper when the only witness who can provide contrary testimony is the defendant. United States v. Cotnam, 88 F.3d 487, 497 (7th Cir. 1996). We do not find that to be the case here. Although Tucker did exercise his right not to testify, he was not the only witness capable of contradicting the Government’s version of the facts. Rather, Tucker offered into evidence a stipulation which stated, that if called to testify, Noconnco Price, would say that he identified Tucker to the DEA as a customer of co-conspirator James Silas. This stipulation was offered to rebut the Government’s argument that Tucker was the central heroin supplier in the drug ring; we do not interpret the prosecutor’s remark to be an No. 12-1281 15 indirect comment on Tucker’s decision not to testify on his behalf. Additionally, even if we found this comment to be made in error, there is nothing in the record to indicate that Tucker suffered any prejudice as a result. The jury was cautioned by the district court that Tucker had a right to remain silent and “was not required to put on any evidence at all.” We find no support for Tucker’s contention that he was deprived of a fair trial by this remark by the prosecutor.