Opinion ID: 1279670
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: prosecutor's alleged prejudicial remarks

Text: Defendant contends that the prosecutor acted improperly by making a number of comments, in his closing argument during the penalty phase of the trial, in violation of defendant's Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Jeffries did not testify either during the guilt or penalty phase of the trial. He did make, however, an allocution during the sentencing phase to the jury. In his closing statement, the prosecutor referred to such allocution: Well, you have heard the Defendant in a situation where he does not have to take an oath and in a situation that I can't cross-examine him and his statement, I submit is one that is insulting to the intelligence. It is also a statement, I think, full of arrogance. 14C Report of Proceedings, at 48. [7] The general rule is that a comment by the prosecutor on the defendant's failure to testify violates his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 14 L.Ed.2d 106, 85 S.Ct. 1229 (1965). The prosecutor's comment here occurred during the sentencing phase. Moreover, the prosecutor made his comment after the defendant spoke to the jury by way of allocution. In a case substantially the same, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that the State did not violate the defendant's right to refrain from self-incrimination. In Tucker v. Francis, 723 F.2d 1504 (11th Cir.1984), the defendant did not testify at the guilt phase but did at the penalty phase. In his closing argument, the prosecutor said: Well, why then did this defendant all of a sudden in this state [ sic ] of the trial get on the stand and start telling you these lies that he's told you  or told you yesterday? It's very simple. The defense is playing games with you.... He tries to confuse you by getting up at this stage of the trial and trying to convince you or plant some little bit of doubt in your mind that he acted alone. Tucker, at 1509. The Tucker court found no constitutional violation. Silence gains more probative weight where it persists in the face of accusation, since it is assumed in such circumstances that the accused would be more likely than not to dispute an untrue accusation. Failure to contest an assertion, however, is considered evidence of acquiescence only if it would have been natural under the circumstances to object to the assertion in question. United States v. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 176, 45 L.Ed.2d 99, 95 S.Ct. 2133 (1975). In State v. Bartholomew, 101 Wn.2d 631, 683 P.2d 1079 (1984), we held that the State may introduce evidence to rebut matters raised in mitigation by the defendant. While the prosecutor's statement was not evidence, it rebutted the defendant's assertion that he is now telling the truth. We hold that the prosecutor's comment was permissible, and did not violate defendant's Fifth Amendment privilege. In his closing statement during the penalty phase of the trial, the prosecutor also stated: Well, ladies and gentlemen, you did the right thing [in returning a guilty verdict at the guilt phase]. You did the right thing. Now I find it ironic that what you have heard from Mr. Jeffries and what you have heard about him at this phase is based upon lies. I submit that Mr. Jeffries, when he says what he says to you, is doing nothing more than what he's done or what he did from March 19th onward. He lied to Frieda Opdahl, he lied to Rex Elliot, he lied to virtually everyone and he's lying to you now ... 14C Report of Proceedings, at 49. [8] In State v. Reed, 102 Wn.2d 140, 145, 684 P.2d 699 (1984), this court stated that it is reprehensible for one appearing as a public prosecutor to assert in argument his personal belief in the accused's guilt. The trial that took place in Reed was not, however, bifurcated as the instant trial was. Here, the jury had already convicted the defendant of aggravated first degree murder. Consequently, it is not improper for the prosecutor to assert that he believes the jury's decision was correct.