Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

188 Neb. 151

195 N.W.2d 517

State v. Johnson

Nebraska Supreme Court

Decided March 17, 1972

Nebraska Supreme Court · decided 1972-03-17

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently December 1972

2 state decisions

Relies on State v. Adams · Murray v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1972-03-17

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

White,, C. J.

¶1 The sole question presented in this case is the validity of instruction No. 11 given by the district court. The instruction is as follows: “You are to draw no conclusions or inferences from the fact that the defendant has not testified in this case, and you are entitled to draw no conclusions or inferences as to his reason in that regard.” In Murray v. State, 119 Neb. 16, 226 N. W. 793, the defendant alleged error in the following instruction: “ ‘You are instructed that the defendant has not testified in his own behalf in this case, as he had a lawful right to do. Nothing must be taken against him because he has not so testified.’ ” The court approved this instruction. In the recent case of State v. Adams, 181 Neb. 75, 147 N. W. 2d 144, this court approved a similar instruction on the same subject matter.

¶2 It is obvious, without further analysis, that there is no merit to the defendant’s contention. The instruction was clearly framed in the light of our holdings in Murray and Adams. The instruction did not imply that the *152 defendant had a duty to testify and the instruction could not have prejudiced the defendant in any way.

¶3 The assignment of error is without merit, and the sentence and judgment of the district court are correct and are affirmed.

¶4 Affirmed.

/188/neb/151 · .json · Public domain