State v. Jordan

Summary

The court held that the trial court's failure to ask the requested voir dire question about jurors' willingness or ability to follow an instruction concerning the defendant's right not to testify was trial error subject to harmless-error review, rather than structural error. Because the defendant testified, the jury was not instructed on the right not to testify, and her testimony did not contribute to the guilty verdict on the assault charge, the court concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that the error was harmless. The court therefore reversed the intermediate appellate court's judgment.