[SteveH]

the effect being telegraphing to the jury that Z is guilty since he is not taking the stand in his own defense?

[spacejunkie2001]

no. jury not in the room

[RetSignman]

Z is guilty since he is not taking the stand in his own defense?

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The members of the jury don’t live in a vacuum, they have watched other trials on TV and know if the defendant TAKES the stand in his own defense, he can be perceived as guilty.

So it’s a tossup.