Opinion ID: 1636806
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Prosecutorial Comment on Appellant's Failure to Testify

Text: The Appellant argues that the trial court erred by denying defense counsel's motion for a mistrial when, during closing arguments of the guilt/innocence phase, the prosecution commented on the Appellant's failure to testify. A prosecutor is strictly prohibited from commenting on the defendant's decision not to testify. Coker v. State, 911 S.W.2d 357, 368 (Tenn.Crim.App.1995). However, a prosecutor's statement that proof is unrefuted or uncontradicted is not an improper comment upon a defendant's failure to testify. State v. Thomas, 818 S.W.2d 350, 364 (Tenn.Crim.App.1991); Coury, 697 S.W.2d at 378. In the present case, the Appellant did not testify at trial. However, a videotaped statement to the detectives following the Appellant's arrest was played before the jury. In this tape, the Appellant stated that he did not know how his fingerprint got on Hampton's Movie Gallery card. Nonetheless, he also told detectives I'm not surprised that it is on there. During closing arguments of the guilt/innocence phase, defense counsel made the following statements: I believe the evidence showed that card was found the next day, over 24 hours after the robbery happened. You heard that it was found on Ellington Parkway, about a mile from [the Appellant's] house. You heard that [the Appellant] had a car that broke down all the time. If a person was near something and your car breaks down and you walk by something, you might pick that up and throw it back down. Four months after the fact, you may not even remember that. Additionally, defense counsel questioned the prosecution's reasoning for playing the videotaped statement during trial. In its closing arguments, the prosecution responded to defense counsel's comments as follows: [Defense counsel] talked about why did the State put in the statement. Because he gave it, and you, as jurors, have a right to hear it. You did hear it, and we put in on for one reason; because he was given chance after chance to explain how his fingerprint could have gotten on that card. He said I'm not surprised it is on there. Would he ever have an explanation? [Defense counsel] grabbed one out of the air, and there is no basis in fact or evidence for anything else, and said, well maybe his car broke down. (Emphasis added). The Appellant maintains that the prosecution's statement of When would he ever have an explanation? clearly commented upon the fact that the Appellant failed to explain during his statement to police the presence of his fingerprint on property that had been in the possession of one of the victims. Additionally, he contends that the prosecutor wrongfully commented on the Appellant's failure to take the witness stand and offer an explanation at trial. We disagree. This was clearly rebuttal argument directed toward defense counsel's earlier argument that the Appellant could have picked up the movie card while walking after his car broke down. We do not find that the statement can be fairly characterized as a comment on the Appellant's failure to testify. At most, the comment was mere argument by the prosecution that its proof was unrefuted or uncontradicted. See Coury, 697 S.W.2d at 378. This issue is without merit.