failure to testify

A party’s — esp. a criminal defendant’s — decision not to testify.

• Under the Fifth Amendment, the prosecutor and the judge cannot comment to the jury on a criminal defendant’s failure to testify. But comments on the failure are usu. permissible in a civil case. [Cases: Criminal Law 317; Evidence 76; Witnesses 88. C.J.S. Criminal Law §§ 641–644, 705–706; Evidence §§ 174–175.]

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词条贡献者

资深译员大智，毕业于美国一流的高级翻译学院，专注翻译各种与复杂诉讼有关的法律文件。