Court Opinion

ID: 9756043
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 21:04:56.418728+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:14.214810
License: Public Domain

Murphy, C. J.,

dissenting:

The Court holds that the trial judge committed reversible error when he refused to permit the appellant to argue to the jury that the prosecution’s failure to present fingerprint evidence at the trial supported an inference that he was not at the scene of the crime, and hence was not guilty of the offense charged. In so holding, I think the Court has unwisely departed from the salutary principle of Wilhelm v. State, 272 Md. 404, 413, 326 A.2d 707 (1974) that "counsel should not be permitted by the court, over proper objection, to state and comment upon facts not in evidence or to state *557what he could have proven.” 1 therefore dissent from the reversal of the conviction in this case.
The only police officer called to testify by the prosecution was Officer Robert Shaffer, who arrested the appellant several weeks after the shooting. He was not asked about the existence or nonexistence of fingerprint evidence. Indeed, on cross-examination, it was brought out that Shaffer had not participated in the investigation of the crime.
The majority seems to assume that fingerprint evidence was available to the State and as a consequence the appellant was justified in arguing that a favorable inference arose as a result of the nonproduction of such evidence. The Court, after noting that the driver of the vehicle was unable to identify the appellant, says that "the State had available to it a better method of identification — fingerprint evidence.” While acknowledging that "it is not incumbent upon the State to produce fingerprint evidence to prove guilt,” the Court goes on to state that
"where a better method of identification may be available and the State offers no explanation whatsoever for its failure to come forward with such evidence, it is not unreasonable to allow the defendant to call attention to its failure to do so.”
The evidence in this case does not indicate that fingerprint evidence was available to the State. There was not a shred of evidence presented at the trial to indicate that fingerprint tests could have been made, should have been made, or were made upon the commandeered automobile. Since no such evidence was presented, one of the purposes behind the Wilhelm rule is clearly applicable, as recognized in the majority opinion, i.e., "to prevent counsel from suggesting evidence which was not presented at trial thereby providing additional grounds for finding a defendant innocent or guilty.”
Clearly, the appellant in closing argument intended to suggest that fingerprint evidence was available to the State and that although it was a more reliable method of identification than the State’s eyewitness testimony, the *558fingerprint evidence was withheld by the prosecution because it established that he was not at the crime scene. No such facts were in evidence to support such an inference and it was for this reason that the trial judge properly limited the scope of the appellant’s closing jury argument under Wilhelm.
The Court is wrong, in my opinion, in concluding that
"It would be plainly unreasonable to impose upon a defendant the burden of cross examining the police or of calling the appropriate personnel to the stand when that action might well result in evidence adverse to his interest. It is the State which has the burden of bringing forth the evidence. The defendant need say nothing.”
By this statement, the Court seems to suggest that the prosecution must explain its reason for not producing sources of potential evidence against an accused in order to prevent him from drawing favorable inferences from its nonproduction, while the defendant can remain completely silent. I do not believe that it is "plainly unreasonable” that a defendant has the burden of cross-examining a police officer to lay a foundation upon which to draw a favorable inference in closing argument if the matter has not been previously raised by the State. The better reasoned cases support this view.
In Jordan v. State, 267 Ala. 361, 102 So. 2d 4 (1958), the appellant attempted to use the fact of nonproduction of fingerprint evidence in his closing jury argument but the State’s objection was sustained by the trial court. On appeal, the court affirmed, noting that no evidence had been produced at trial that an attempt to secure fingerprints had been made or that the State had failed to produce witnesses having knowledge of relevant fingerprint evidence, although the appellant could have cross-examined the investigating officers concerning the existence of fingerprint evidence.
In Com. v. Wright, 255 Pa. Super. Ct. 512, 388 A.2d 1084 *559(1978), the defendant in closing jury argument sought to use the fact that no fingerprint evidence had been produced at trial to support an inference that such evidence would have been exculpatory. The trial court sustained the State’s objection on the ground that there was no factual basis to justify the inference although the accused could have cross-examined the investigating officers. Therefore, the accused’s closing argument was improper because he was attempting to present matters to the jury that had not been placed into evidence. See also United States v. Latimer, 511 F.2d 498, 563 (10th Cir. 1975); United States v. Wilkins, 422 F. Supp. 1371 (E.D. Pa. 1976); People v. Beier, 29 Ill. 2d 511, 194 N.E.2d 280 (1963); State v. McKinney, 554 S.W.2d 488 (Mo. Ct. App. 1977).
A close reading of Jacobson v. State, 551 P.2d 935 (Alas. 1976), relied upon by the majority in support of its holding that the accused does not have the burden of cross-examining a police witness, supports the opposite principle. In that case, unlike the present case, Jacobson’s trial counsel cross-examined the arresting officer and elicted from him the fact that although it was standard procedure to make video tapes of those charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, no such video tape had been made with respect to Jacobson. The arresting officer could only speculate why such a tape had not been made. Thus, the inference drawn by the accused in closing argument was not improper because he had established a proper foundation by his cross-examination of the arresting officer, as held by the Alaska court.
I think that the trial court’s refusal to allow Eley to argue the lack of fingerprint evidence to the jury was a proper exercise of the trial court’s discretion, and would therefore affirm the conviction.
Judge Rodowsky authorizes me to state that he joins in this opinion.