Court Opinion

ID: 9633778
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 11:59:32.886646+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:08:41.932042
License: Public Domain

CARDINE, Justice,
specially concurring.
While I agree that this case should be affirmed, I take issue with the court’s treatment of the issue raised concerning Price’s testifying. The majority finds harmless error in the giving of the testimony. If Price’s testifying resulted in error, it was anything but harmless, for he described in vivid detail the crime for which he was convicted. I find no error, however, because Price waived his privilege against self-incrimination by voluntarily taking the stand. If the court’s ruling that Price’s expert could not testify unless Price testified was erroneous, that error was preserved whether Price testified or not. Thus, Price was not forced to testify to preserve the error; nor may he decide to testify and create additional error. By waiving his right to remain silent at trial, I fail to see how he can claim error before this court.
Before Price took the stand, outside of the presence of the jury, the court addressed him as follows:
“THE COURT: * * * Mr. Price, do you understand that you do not have to testify?
“MR. PRICE: Yes, sir.
“THE COURT: And do you understand that that right is a right that only you can waive? Let me put it a different way so there’s no misunderstanding. Mr. Price, you are the only one who ultimately finally makes a decision as to whether or not you testify. * * * Do you understand that?
“MR. PRICE: Yes, sir.”
The court then asked Price if he had any questions. Price responded he did not know if he had any questions. The court suggested that Price should discuss the matter with his attorney. Price’s attorney then questioned Price to demonstrate that he was agreeing to testify on the attorney’s advice in order to allow the psychologist to testify. Price affirmed that he alone had made the choice to testify.
A defendant who chooses to testify waives his privilege against compulsory self-incrimination with respect to the testimony he gives, and the waiver is no less effective or complete because the defendant may have been motivated to take the stand only by reason of the strength of lawful evidence against him. Harrison v. United States, 392 U.S. 219, 222, 88 S.Ct. 2008, 2010, 20 L.Ed.2d 1047 (1968). In Harrison, the defendant testified to rebut illegally obtained and erroneously admitted evidence against him. 392 U.S. at 224, 88 S.Ct. at 2011. Price makes no claim that his testimony was prompted by any tainted evidence. Rather, Price chose to testify as part of a defense strategy in an attempt to counter the State’s evidence. Cf United States v. Hearst, 563 F.2d 1331 (9th Cir.*9171977), reh. denied 573 F.2d 579 (9th Cir.1978), cert. denied 435 U.S. 1000, 98 S.Ct. 1656, 56 L.Ed.2d 90 (1978). The only claim Price makes as to the State’s evidence is that it was insufficient to convict him of felony murder. He does not argue about the propriety of the State’s evidence.
“That the defendant faces such a dilemma demanding a choice between complete silence and presenting a defense has never been thought of an invasion of the privilege against compelled self-incrimination.” Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78, 84, 90 S.Ct. 1893, 1897, 26 L.Ed.2d 446 (1970).
Price waived his privilege when he chose to take the witness stand.
I cannot accept the court’s harmless error analysis for another reason. The court states the “error” was harmless because it did not prejudice Price’s substantial rights. Maj. op. at 913. However, the alleged error concerns his constitutional right against self-incrimination. United States Constitution, Amendments 5 and 14; Wyoming Constitution, Art. 1, § 11. Before a constitutional error can be held harmless, it must be found to be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Campbell v. State, 589 P.2d 358, 367 (Wyo.1979); Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 828, 17 L.Ed.2d 705, 24 A.L.R.3d 1065 (1967). Price’s direct testimony involved the intimate details of the killing for which he was convicted. Regardless of the other evidence in this case, I have much more than a reasonable doubt, indeed serious doubt, that such testimony was" harmless.
Due to these concerns, I join the court in the result only on this issue and concur on the other issues raised.