Marston v. State

136 So. 3d 563, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 155, 2014 WL 1240029, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 1034
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 27, 2014
DocketNo. SC12-357
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 136 So. 3d 563 (Marston v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marston v. State, 136 So. 3d 563, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 155, 2014 WL 1240029, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 1034 (Fla. 2014).

Opinions

QUINCE, J.

Raymond Marston seeks review of the decision of the Second District Court of Appeal in Marston v. State, 79 So.3d 72 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011), on the ground that it expressly and directly conflicts with .the decision of the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Varona v. State, 674 So.2d 823 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996), on a question of law. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(3), Fla. Const. We are asked to decide whether the prosecutor impermissi-bly commented on Marston’s constitutional right to remain silent, and if so, whether the comments were harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. We conclude that the prosecutor’s comments were improper and harmful. Accordingly, we quash the Second District’s decision in Marston and approve the Fourth District’s decision in Va-rona.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On June 19, 2008, the State charged Marston with three counts of sexual battery (deadly weapon or force causing injury) (§ 794.011(3), Fla. Stat. (2008)), one count of kidnapping (§ 787.01(1)(a)2., Fla. Stat. (2008)), one count of aggravated battery (great bodily harm) (§ 784.045(1)(a)1., Fla. Stat. (2008)), and one count of robbery (§ 812.13(1), (2)(c), Fla. Stat. (2008)). During voir dire, the prosecutor first broached the matter relating to Marston’s constitutional right to remain silent:

PROSECUTOR: ... One of [the basic rules governing criminal cases] is that it is my job and [co-counsel’s] job to prove the case to you. They don’t have to prove a single thing. They can sit there and play dominoes while we talk and put witnesses on for the next several days. They can do that because it is my burden.

The prosecutor continued to highlight Marston’s constitutional right during voir dire:

PROSECUTOR: ... You can’t hold it against Mr. Marston or his attorneys if they sit there and play dominoes the whole time. Do you understand that?
VENIRE MEMBER: Kind of. So you will be talking the whole, time to prove that he’s guilty?
PROSECUTOR: Exactly. Exactly.
Because it is the State of Florida’s burden and everybody has this right. You are presumed innocent until I prove that you are guilty.
So like I said, Mr. Marston can sit there and not say a word. He can read magazines. He could bring in a laptop and play on Facebook all day long if he wanted to, and you cannot hold that against him. Do you understand? Does everyone understand that?
VENIRE MEMBERS: (Nodding heads affirmatively.)
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PROSECUTOR: And I touched upon Mr. Marston doesn’t have to say a word. He doesn’t have to say a single word this whole trial. You may not even hear his voice at all because I can’t put him on the stand. Does everybody understand that?
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[566]*566[Venire member], you understand that he has the absolute right to remain silent?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
PROSECUTOR: You can’t go back into that jury room when you deliberate and think, you know what, I wonder what he would have said? Do you understand that?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
VENIRE MEMBER: So he doesn’t have to be here?
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PROSECUTOR: He has a right to stay completely quiet. It’s my job to prove this case.
VENIRE MEMBER: But he can talk?
PROSECUTOR: He can if he wants to.
VENIRE MEMBER: His people, they can talk for him?
PROSECUTOR: They can do whatever they feel is appropriate. Like I said, they may want to put him on the stand. Do you have a problem with that, [veni-re member]?
VENIRE MEMBER: No.
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PROSECUTOR: You would hold me to my burden and make sure it is only to this table that you look to for the evidence; do you understand that?
VENIRE MEMBER: They can’t give any evidence?
PROSECUTOR: I’m sure the defense will probably go into that a little more.
DEFENSE COUNSEL: Judge, I object. May we approach?
THE COURT: Approach the bench.

During the bench conference, the following exchange occurred:

DEFENSE COUNSEL: Basically, Judge, I think I see where [the prosecutor] is going with this, but this guy is getting confused, and he’s going to ask us to address his right to remain silent. Can the Court gives [sic] some kind of curative that he has a right to remain silent because this guy is getting the wrong idea?
THE COURT: You will have an opportunity to question him if you don’t think that [the prosecutor] has done an adequate job. Make clear to him that they have no obligation.
PROSECUTOR: Absolutely.
THE COURT: No burden at all on the defense and then move on.
PROSECUTOR: I was planning on doing that. He has a right to remain silent and that’s it.
THE COURT: Okay. Thank you.

After the bench conference concluded, the following exchange transpired:

PROSECUTOR: Okay. [Venire member], I know you had those few questions for me. Now, as I explained, totally the job of the State of Florida, my burden, you’re okay with that?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
PROSECUTOR: Mr. Marston has the absolute right to remain silent. Do you understand that?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
PROSECUTOR: And would you — do you have a problem with any of those two issues?
VENIRE MEMBER: So he is allowed to speak during the case?
PROSECUTOR: Like I said, the defense will probably speak to you about that. He can, if he wants to, but he has the absolute right to remain silent. You understand that?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
PROSECUTOR: And you agree with that burden and with his rights; is that correct?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
[567]*567PROSECUTOR: Anyone else disagree with what we have just said?
VENIRE MEMBER: I just have a brief question. So he will not explain his position at all as far as — he would just remain silent?
PROSECUTOR: We’re not going into the facts of the case at this point. It’s just to get a glimpse of who you are. We have to explain to you that as jurors, you have to follow certain rules. One of those rules is that you accept and make sure and you promise that you will hold me to my burden, that you will look to me for the evidence. You understand that?
VENIRE MEMBER: Yes.
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
136 So. 3d 563, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 155, 2014 WL 1240029, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 1034, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marston-v-state-fla-2014.