Opinion ID: 2469715
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Calling Mrs. Kiefer

Text: The prosecutor called Mrs. Kiefer, the appellant's wife, to the stand. As she approached, she informed the court she did not wish to testify. She was sworn in and then again informed the court she did not wish to testify. A hearing was held out of the presence of the jury. The judge asked Mrs. Kiefer if her wish not to testify was based upon her desire not to incriminate herself. She said she did not understand. The judge then appointed an attorney to discuss Mrs. Kiefer's rights with her. The attorney informed the court that Mrs. Kiefer wished to assert her Fifth Amendment right not to testify. She was not recalled to the witness stand. Kiefer argues his motion for a mistrial should have been granted because the prosecutor called Mrs. Kiefer to the stand, knowing of her desire not to testify. In Foster v. State, supra , we wrote that it was error for the court to permit the prosecution to call a witness to the stand where both the court and the prosecutor knew that the witness would be advised to assert her Fifth Amendment privilege not to testify. There, the attorney for the witness had asserted her privilege at an earlier bail bond hearing and had informed the court and the prosecutor the witness would assert the privilege if called to testify at trial. In this case, there is no evidence that the court had any knowledge Mrs. Kiefer would assert her privilege. Although the prosecutor apparently knew Mrs. Kiefer had previously asserted she did not want to testify, nothing in the record shows she previously asserted any recognized privilege. In the Foster opinion, we quoted with approval the court of appeals decision in Sims v. State, 4 Ark.App. 303, 631 S.W. 2d 14 (1982), where it was said that the evil in this situation lies not in the mere calling of a witness but in the asking of a series of questions, each of which she refuses to answer on privilege against self incrimination grounds, thus creating the equivalent of testimony in the minds of the jurors. Douglas v. Alabama, 380 U.S. 415, 85 S.Ct. 1704, (1965). The court did not permit that here, and three 3 L.Ed.2d 934 (1965). The court did not permit that here, and there was no error in refusing to grant a mistrial.