Court Opinion

ID: 9428218
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:23:10.054245+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:12.098377
License: Public Domain

Justice Stevens,
with whom Justice Brennan joins, concurring.
While I join the Court’s opinion, I add this comment to emphasize that today’s holding is limited to cases in which the defendant has requested that the jury be instructed not to draw an inference of guilt from the defendant’s failure to testify. I remain convinced that the question whether such an instruction should be given in any specific case — like the question whether the defendant should testify on his own behalf — should be answered by the defendant and his lawyer, not by the State. See Lakeside v. Oregon, 435 U. S. 333, 343-348 (1978) (Stevens, J., dissenting).