Court Opinion

ID: 9577951
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:39:55.169215+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:21:36.710885
License: Public Domain

ROVIRA, Justice,
specially concurring in the result:
I agree with the conclusion reached by the majority that the defendant’s conviction should be affirmed. I also agree that there is no violation of the defendant’s constitutional right not to incriminate himself because the trial court did not advise him of his right not to testify. To the extent that the majority opinion relies on and reinforces the analysis of People v. Curtis, 681 P.2d 504 (Colo.1984), I disagree -with the views expressed in the majority opinion.
In addition, I disagree with the basic underlying thesis of the majority opinion; that is, “by choosing to testify, Mozee waived an important constitutional right.” Majority op. at 123. In my view, by choosing to testify, Mozee exercised a constitutional right. The constitutional right not to testify and the privilege against self-incrimination protects a person from being involuntarily called as a witness against himself or being required to answer questions that might incriminate him.
Here, the prosecution made no attempt to call the defendant as a witness. Neither the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution nor section 18 of article II of the Colorado Constitution is implicated. The majority’s analysis is flawed by its failure to recognize this simple fact. The extended discussion on the rights of a defendant who testifies on his own behalf is not warranted.