SMITH v. STATE

No. 64, Sept. Term, 2000.

787 A.2d 152 (2001)

367 Md. 348

Robert Allen SMITH v. STATE of Maryland.

Court of Appeals of Maryland.

December 20, 2001.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Nancy S. Forster, Asst. Public Defender (Stephen E. Harris, Public Defender, on brief), Baltimore, for petitioner.

M. Jennifer Landis, Asst. Atty. Gen. (J. Joseph Curran, Jr., Atty. Gen., on brief), Baltimore, for respondent.

Argued before BELL, C.J., ELDRIDGE, RAKER, WILNER, CATHELL, HARRELL and BATTAGLIA, JJ.


RAKER, Judge.

Robert Allen Smith, petitioner, asserts that his federal and state constitutional right against self-incrimination was violated by the prosecutor's comments during closing argument. We agree and shall hold that the prosecutor's remarks were a direct comment on petitioner's exercise of his privilege against self-incrimination. The error was not harmless, and a new trial is therefore in order.

In March, 1998, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Davis was...

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