Go to next caseEddie Dean Griffin had been accused of assaulting and murdering a female friend of his. To these charges, he plead not guilty. Griffin's counsel recommended that he not testify on the grounds that the prosecution's case was entirely circumstantial. During the trial, the prosecutor brought into evidence the fact that Griffin had been seen in the alley where the victim was found and had left it "cool as a cucumber". The main thrust of his closing statement, however, concerned the defendant's refusal to testify. The jury found Griffin guilty and sentenced him to death. Griffin appealed the case on the grounds that he was denied his Fifth Amendment right refrain from testifying as a defense. The Supreme Court found in his favor. They reasoned that by referring to the defendant's lack of testimony in front of the jury, the prosecution denied him his Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The Court went on to say what the jury "may infer when the court solemnizes the silence of the accused into evidence against him is [dangerous]."
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