In this criminal proceeding, defendant seeks reversal of her conviction for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII). ORS 813.010. She asserts that the trial court erred in failing to permit her to testify or be heard in her own defense, or alternatively, that the trial court erred in failing to make inquiries as to whether she wished to discharge her attorney during trial. For the following reasons, we affirm.
On March 6, 1994, defendant was pulled over for erratic driving, given field sobority tests and an Intoxilyzer test, and ultimately was charged with DUII. She was convicted after a jury trial.
Defendant’s arguments on appeal concern the conduct of her trial. During the state’s case-in-chief, defendant interrupted the testimony of one of the arresting officers, stating, “that’s not true,” and, when her attorney tried to shush her, “You don’t — let me testify. That’s not true.” During defendant’s case, defense counsel stated in a colloquy with the trial judge that they had elected not to have defendant testify. At that point, the following exchange took place out of the jury’s presence:
“DEFENDANT: Can I change my mind on whether I want to testify or not?
“THE COURT: All right. [Unintelligible.]
“DEFENSE COUNSEL: Against my recommendation.”
The court, counsel and defendant then discussed whether defendant would be permitted to leave certain books on counsel table and whether certain evidence that the defense wished to offer was inadmissible hearsay. During these discussions, defendant interjected regularly, and defense counsel tried to shush her. After that, the defense called its final witness, and then rested. Defense counsel did not call defendant to testify.
The state began its closing argument, and defendant interjected several times with comments about, and contradictions of, the evidence that the prosecutor was describing. The trial judge told defendant: “This is — everybody gets his
or her time to talk and this is [the prosecutor’s] time to talk. And then [defense counsel] will get a chance to talk. After this is over, why, you can talk.” After the prosecutor finished the closing argument, defendant asked “whether I can go on the stand or not?” The court responded that defendant needed to let her attorney “talk for her.” After closing arguments, while the judge was instructing the jury that defendant had a constitutional right not to testify, defendant interrupted again: “I — I would like to testify. He just told me I have a constitutional right to testify.” Defense counsel shushed defendant, and the court continued to instruct the jury. Defendant asserted several more times during jury instructions that she wanted to testify and again was shushed by her attorney. The
On appeal, defendant first asserts that the trial court erred in failing to permit her to testify. Defendant further argues that, because Article I, section 11, provides that “the accused shall have the right * * * to be heard by himself and counsel,” the trial court erred in telling defendant that she had to let her lawyer speak for her during trial. Defendant argues that she has a constitutional right to testify under Article I, section 11, of the Oregon Constitution, and the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and that the trial court had a duty to act affirmatively — and sua sponte — to protect defendant’s right to be heard. We disagree.
Article I, section 11, has never been interpreted to allow defendants to inteiject comments and unsworn testimony at will during the state’s case, during closing arguments, during jury instructions, or indeed during defendant’s own case. When defendant interrupted closing arguments and jury instructions, the trial court properly informed defendant that she needed to let her attorney talk for her. In
State v. Stevens,
Defendant next argues that the trial court erred in failing to call her to testify on her own behalf. She offers no law in support of the proposition that a trial court has the authority to call a defendant to the witness stand in a criminal trial. It is not for the trial judge to decide whether or not a criminal defendant should testify. That is a decision that ultimately must be made by a defendant, generally after consultation with trial counsel. Defendant refers to
Ashley v. Hoyt,
Defendant’s argument under the Sixth Amendment must fail for similar reasons. Defendant asserts that, under
Rock v. Arkansas,
Finally, defendant suggests that the trial court had a duty to inquire,
Affirmed.
