Ralph H. Allen v. United States

This is an appeal from a conviction for forging and uttering promissory notes. One of the grounds urged for reversal concerns the prosecutor’s assertion, in his opening statement to the jury, that after appellant was arrested he “was advised of the charges against him and Detective Sgt. Ben Clark of the Metropolitan Police Department will testify to you, ladies and gentlemen, that upon advising the defendant of the charges against him, he refused to make any statement whatsoever concerning it.” The prosecutor never offered the promised evidence. The detective was not. called to testify.

Ordinar…