Court Opinion

ID: 9744336
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 22:01:01.705005+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:48.630383
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE STOUDER, dissenting: I cannot agree with the majority opinion in respect to its holding that the cross-examination of defendant neither infringed upon his constitutional right to remain silent nor prejudiced his defense. Accordingly, I would reverse and remand for a new trial. In the recent case of United States v. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 45 L. Ed. 2d 99, 95 S. Ct. 2133, the Supreme Court, pursuant to its supervisory authority over the lower Federal courts, considered the question presented here. In Hale, the defendant was arrested after being identified by a victim of a robbery and advised of his right to remain silent. The defendant made no response to an officer when asked to explain how he had obtained money found in his possession. At trial, the defendant testified in his own defense and explained his possession of the money. On cross-examination, the prosecutor caused Hale to admit that he had not offered the exculpatory testimony to the police at the time of his arrest. The trial court instructed the jury to disregard the questioning. Without reaching the constitutional question, the Supreme Court held, with no justices dissenting, that the probative value of defendant’s pretrial silence was outweighed by the prejudicial impact of admitting the evidence. . Similarly, in People v. Wright, 32 Ill. App. 3d 736, 336 N.E.2d 18, the Illinois appellate court held, relying on Hale and the fifth amendment right to remain silent, that it was error to cross-examine the defendant about his silence. In Wright, the State elicited testimony in its case-in-chief regarding defendant’s refusal to answer questions made by the police. On cross-examination, the prosecutor caused the defendant to admit that he had failed to inform anyone prior to testifying, including his attorney, of his claim of self-defense. I believe that Hale and Wright support the view that the cross-examination of defendant in the instant appeal infringed upon his constitutional right to remain silent and prejudiced his defense. The majority apparently believe that the cross-examination of defendant about his silence was permissible since this evidence possessed significant probative value. Hale and Wright are distinguished on the basis that here the defendant “voluntarily made incriminating statements to the police prior to the time of his arrest,” whereas in those cases the defendants had remained silent. The majority does not frame the issue in terms of the defendant’s right to remain silent, or his exercise of his fifth amendment right after receiving the Miranda warnings. Instead, the majority believe the issue relates to defendant’s “credibility stemming from the variations in his statements regarding the shooting.” The cross-examination of defendant, as set forth by the majority, reveals that the prosecutor’s questions were not limited to refer specifically to defendant’s failure to claim self-defense either before, immediately after, or at the time of his initially volunteered statement. Rather, the questions were framed broadly (e.g., “° " * you never told any law enforcement officer this did you?”), so that the response elicited also related to defendant’s failure to claim self-defense at a time when he had been formally advised of his constitutional right to remain silent. (United States ex rel. Flynn v. Butler, 397 F. Supp. 999 (S.D. N.Y. 1975).) Defendant’s failure to make exculpatory statements while under arrest should not have been considered against him. Having been placed under arrest, he had the right to remain silent. See United States v. Semensohn, 421 F. 2d 1206 (2d Cir. 1970). I believe the majority’s reliance on United States ex rel. Flynn v. Butler, 397 F. Supp. 999 (S.D. N.Y. 1975), is misplaced. In fact, that case is clear authority for the position adopted here. In Flynn, the prosecutor, during closing argument, made reference to the testimony of a detective who had given defendant the Miranda warnings. When the prosecutor was apparently about to comment on the defendant’s failure to say anything at a time after he had been advised of his rights under Miranda, the trial judge interrupted sua sponte, directed the prosecutor to move on to another subject, and instructed the jurors that they were not to draw any inferences from the defendant’s silence, which instruction was reiterated in the charge. The court held these references to defendant’s silence error, but not prejudicial. The reasons given were: (1) the prosecutor did not actually complete the comment because he was interrupted in midsentence by the trial judge; (2) the trial judge’s intervention was forceful and the curative instruction was both immediate and pointed, as well as subsequently reinforced in the charge; and, (3) defendant’s failure to say anything after being advised of his Miranda rights was initially brought out by defense counsel who later commented on it at some length in his summation. In Flynn, the court admitted into evidence two voluntary remarks made by defendant before the Miranda admonitions were given. The defendant testified in his own behalf at trial. Flynn clearly supports the proposition that comment should not be made regarding a defendant’s silence after he is advised of his constitutional right to remain silent, even where the defendant has made initial statements before Miranda admonitions are required. I also believe the majority’s reliance on the concurring opinions in Agnellino v. State of New Jersey, 493 F.2d 714 (3d Cir. 1974), is unwarranted. In approving various remarks made by the prosecutor during closing argument, neither concurring judge viewed the case as one “where the prosecutor commented unfavorably upon the defendant’s ‘silence’.” Both concurring opinions refer to and permit comment by the prosecutor upon the differences in the statements made by defendant at trial and those made at the time of arrest, after the Miranda warnings were given. Therefore, these opinions as regards silence are not controlling, since this issue was not decisive. In fact, one concurring judge, Chief Judge Seitz, stated that prosecutorial comment on a defendant’s silence after the Miranda warnings are given, without any statements made by defendant, would be impermissible. The premise underlying the majority opinion is that “the prosecutor’s questions were properly permitted for purposes of impeaching defendant’s credibility by showing the inconsistency or variance between defendant’s pre-trial and trial statements.” This rationale can only apply if silence, under the circumstances, is an inconsistency. The authorities relied upon by the majority do not support this view, since they do not involve silence after the Miranda warnings were given. The evidence regarding defendant’s silence should have been excluded for two reasons: first, defendant’s failure to say anything regarding his claim of self-defense during the custodial interrogation can as easily be taken to indicate reliance on the right to remain silent as to support an inference that the explanatory testimony was a later fabrication (United States v. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 45 L. Ed. 2d 99, 95 S. Ct. 2133; and second, in any event, the defendant’s silence was not inconsistent with his exculpatory testimony; defendant’s admission was reasonably consistent with his defense at trial. Long before the decision in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694, 86 S. Ct. 1602, the Illinois courts have recognized that there are valid reasons for maintaining silence and that silence maintained under appropriate circumstances is not an inconsistency which may be shown in impeachment of later testimony. As stated by the court in People v. Pfanschmidt, 262 Ill. 411, 448-50, 104 N.E. 804: “An admission or confession may be implied from the conduct of the party when charged with a crime or with complicity therein, or when statements are made in his presence affecting him, when the circumstances afford him an opportunity to act or speak in reply and men similarly situated would naturally deny the implied guilt or make explanations or statements. [Citations.] * * 'If the accused is restrained from making a reply ‘by fear, by doubts of his rights, by a belief that his security will best be promoted by his silence, then no inference of assent can be drawn from that silence.’ [Citation.] If the accused says he refuses to answer because he is acting under the advice of counsel, or for any other valid reason, the evidence should not be admitted. * * * There is no basis in this record to support an argument that plaintiff in error in any manner acquiesced in the truth of the statements or assertions made in his presence in these various interviews. Would any reasonable man in like circumstances when he had been advised by his attorney time and again not to talk, be expected to reply to accusations of the kind made in these interviews? Manifestly not.” Subsequent cases have consistently held that evidence of silence maintained on advice of counsel is not admissible. See People v. Lewerenz, 24 Ill. 2d 295, 181 N.E.2d 99; People v. Rothe, 358 Ill. 52, 192 N.E. 777; People v. Blumenfeld, 330 Ill. 474, 161 N.E. 857. In Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court said, in discussing a defendant’s right to remain silent: “In accord with our decision today, it is impermissible to penalize an individual for exercising his fifth amendment privilege when he is under police custodial interrogation. The prosecution may not, therefore, use at trial the fact that he stood mute or claimed his privilege in the face of accusation.” (384 U.S. 436, 468 N. 37,16 L. Ed. 2d 694, 720 N. 37, 86 S. Ct. 1602.) Under Miranda, an accused in custody has an absolute right to silence. Silence maintained upon advice of counsel, like silence maintained in exercise of the constitutional rights defined in Miranda is not an inconsistency which may be shown in impeachment. The probative value of silence or refusal to speak depends on the common experience that an assertion of misconduct will spontaneously invite a denial or protest of innocence. In the instant appeal, the circumstances supporting exclusion of the evidence regarding defendant’s silence are even more compelling than in those instances involving an assertion of misconduct. Here the evidence does not involve a refusal or failure to reply to or deny an accusation of misconduct, but only silence. The prosecutor’s questions on cross-examination, as set forth by the majority, demonstrate that no response by defendant was either expected or required by the police after he had been given the Miranda warnings. Since no denial or protest of innocence was expected or required by the police, the reasons for defendant’s silence as having any tendency to impeach his credibility disappear. Finally, I believe that the evidence of silence was improper even for purposes of impeachment. If such evidence were proper, the warning and advice required by Miranda would have to be expanded to provide not only that if the accused waived his right to remain silent whatever he said might be used against him, but also if he exercised his right to remain silent such fact could be used to attack or diminish his credibility if he elected to testify in his own behalf. As stated by the court in Fowle v. United States, 410 F. 2d 48, 54 (9th Cir. 1969), which was impliedly approved by Hale: “We simply cannot adopt an interpretation of the Fifth Amendment under which one exercising his right to remain silent upon and immediately after his arrest — a right which the Supreme Court has so earnestly sought to guaranty and preserve — is severely prejudiced by his recourse to that cherished right. It would be anomalous indeed if honorable law enforcement officers were required to elaborate upon the traditional fifth amendment warning and advise arrested persons, in effect: if you say anything, it may be used against you. You have the constitutional right to remain silent, but if you exercise it, that fact may be used against you.” For the foregoing reasons I respectfully dissent.