Court Opinion

ID: 9677635
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:56:27.148802+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:57.164324
License: Public Domain

BARDGETT, Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. Since the Court en Banc is reconsidering the soundness of the Court’s ruling in State v. Hutchinson, Mo., 458 S.W.2d 553, in which I concurred in the dissenting opinion of Seiler, J., I desire to state that, in my opinion, the statements made by the prosecutor in State v. Hutchinson, supra, and in the instant case both constituted a comment on the defendant’s failure to testify.
Additionally, however, the prosecutor in the instant case went one step beyond State v. Hutchinson, supra, and told the jury that it could indulge in the affirmative determination that, by reason of the failure of the defense to call witnesses, there arose a presumption against the defendant that “the evidence they (defendant’s witnesses) would give you would be unfavorable.” Had the prosecutor said to the jury, “Now you will notice that the defendant did not testify in this case”, and ended there it would clearly be a naked comment on the defendant’s failure to testify and violative of the applicable Constitutional provisions as well as § 546.270, V. A.M.S., but, insofar as its practical effect upon the jury is concerned, would not be as devastating as to tell the jury, as they were told here, that, under the rules of the Court, the jury can presume that “Where the defense * * * doesn’t call a witness, you can presume that the evidence they would give would be unfavorable.” The broad statement includes within its ambit the defendant, for if he testifies he is a witness. This statement by the prosecutor left nothing to the imagination, and authorized the jury to make an affirmative presumption that if the defendant testified in the case his testimony would be adverse to his own interest and favorable to the prosecution.
In my opinion, the statement by the prosecutor not only was a comment on defendant’s failure to testify but improperly shifted to the defendant the burden of going forward with evidence in order to rebut the affirmative unfavorable presumption which the jury was authorized by the prosecutor’s statement to utilize in arriving at a verdict in this case.
This was a horrible killing, and I would not suggest that a prosecutor diminish his zeal in advocating the cause of the State in this or any other case in order that a just verdict be rendered. Nevertheless, no attorney representing any party can be allowed to violate the basic charter adopted by the people and by which the people govern themselves, to wit: Amendments 5 and 14, Constitution of the United States, Article 1, § 19, Constitution of Mo.1945, V.A. M.S., as well as Sec. 546.270 V.A.M.S. With all due respect to the majority opinion in this case, I believe that the Constitutional and statutory provisions, supra, were violated in this case, and that this constituted prejudicial error for which this case should be reversed and remanded for new trial.
In the absence of the majority’s adopting the foregoing as decisive of this case, I wish to state that I am in agreement with the disposition the majority opinion makes of this case based on the error appearing as a result of the violation of the requirements of Witherspoon v. Illinois, cited in the majority opinion.