Court Opinion

ID: 9674017
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:21:47.514241+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:25.145281
License: Public Domain

KELLY, Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent because I not only believe we cannot gauge the prejudicial effect of this type of trial tactic engaged in by the prosecutor in this case by asking an obviously objectionable question of the defendant and thereby requiring defense counsel to interpose an objection. By holding, as the majority does, this court condones this tactic of the prosecutor who thereby puts before the jury an inference which he knows, or should certainly know, is not permissible, by the mere asking of the question, in direct violation of the defendant’s right, once in custody, to remain silent. The prosecutor thus erodes that right of the defendant.
*776In United States v. Hale, 422 U.S. 171, 95 S.Ct. 2133, 45 L.Ed.2d 99 (1975), the Supreme Court recognized the invidious nature of a question of this kind and settled a conflict among the courts of appeals of the federal system whether a defendant can be cross-examined about his silence during police interrogation. As the Court said in Hale, l.c. 180, 95 S.Ct. l.c. 2138, 45 L.Ed.2d l.c. 107, “Not only is evidence of silence at the time of arrest generally not very probative of a defendant’s credibility, but it also has a significant potential for prejudice. The danger is that the jury is likely to assign much more weight to the defendant’s previous silence than is warranted.” Hale was not decided on constitutional grounds but rather in the exercise of the Supreme Court’s supervisory authority over the lower federal courts. It is significant that in Hale the trial court there also instructed the jury to disregard the colloquy but refused to declare a mistrial. It is my humble opinion that the only way appellate courts are going to be able to put a stop to this infringement by prosecutors upon the right of a defendant while in custody to remain silent is to take the route taken by the Supreme Court of the United States by way of supervisory control over the trial courts and reverse and remand in each instance when an incident of this kind occurs. It is unfortunate that the trial court will be the one reversed because of prejudicial material introduced into the trial by the prosecutor. However, perhaps by this means prosecutors will be informed, if they will but read the law, that questions of this ilk will interfere with the administration of justice and cause retrial in cases where they, by improper questioning, bring the matter before the jury.