Opinion ID: 2594837
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Constitutional Right to Silence

Text: Appellant contends that the State improperly commented on Beartusk's silence in violation of Tortolito v. State, 901 P.2d 387 (Wyo.1995). The alleged violations occurred during direct examination of a police investigator who testified that he interviewed the defendant, that the defendant answered some innocuous questions, and that when the interview became accusatory, Beartusk terminated the interview: He didn't want to answer any more questions. Also, the investigator testified that Beartusk called him and said he would come into the sheriff's office when he got back into town, but that Beartusk never came in and never contacted the police after that time. Any comment upon an accused's invocation of his constitutional right to remain silent is prejudicial error per se entitling the accused to an automatic reversal of the conviction. Tortolito, 901 P.2d at 390-91. The question then is whether there was such a comment in this case. A comment upon an accused's silence occurs when used to the state's advantage either as substantive evidence of guilt or to suggest to the jury that the silence was an admission of guilt. Id. at 391. Merely observing that the defendants had not said much is not comment. Parkhurst v. State, 628 P.2d 1369, 1382 (Wyo. 1981). In deciding whether there was an impermissible comment upon the defendant's exercise of his right of silence, we will not take sentences and phrases out of context. Cheatham v. State, 719 P.2d 612, 621 (Wyo. 1986). Considering their entire context, the two statements singled out here are relatively benign and do not rise to the level of commentary upon silence. Neither statement by itself constitutes commentary on the invocation of the right to remain silent. The prosecutor did not ask improper questions, did not emphasize the two statements, did not follow up on them, did not refer to them during closing arguments, and did not attempt to exploit them in any way. We find no error.