Case Name: PEOPLE v. SAMS
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1976-09-27
Citations: 71 Mich. App. 337
Docket Number: Docket No. 25045
Parties: PEOPLE v SAMS
Judges: Before: Quinn, P. J., and D. F. Walsh and A. M. Bach, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 71
Pages: 337–339

Head Matter:
PEOPLE v SAMS
Opinion of the Court
1. Criminal Law — Evidence—Witnesses—Prior Inconsistent Statements.
A defendant’s conviction should be reversed because a proper foundation was not laid for the admission of a prior inconsistent statement made by the defendant where the defendant was prejudiced; the error was not cured by a later admission of the entire document which contained the prior inconsistent statement.
Dissent by D. F. Walsh, J.
2. Criminal Law — Evidence—Witnesses—Prior Inconsistent Statements — Cross-Examination—Statutes.
A prosecutor should not have cross-examined a defendant regarding the contents of a prior written statement before the statement was introduced into evidence; however, the defendant’s conviction should not be set aside where Cl) defendant identiñed his signature on the prior written statement, read the statement, and offered his own explanation for discrepancies, (2) the defendant was not prejudiced, and C3) there was no miscarriage of justice (MCLA 769.26; MSA 28.1096).
Appeal from Detroit Recorder’s Court, Joseph A. Gillis, J.
Submitted June 1, 1976, at Detroit.
(Docket No. 25045.)
Decided September 27, 1976.
Rehearing granted Nov. 17, 1976.
Charles Sams was convicted of unarmed robbery. Defendant appeals.
Reversed.
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General, William L. Cahalan, Prosecuting Attorney, Patricia J. Boyle, Principal Attorney, Research, Training and Appeals, and Timothy A. Baughman, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for the people.
Reference for Points in Headnotes
[1, 2] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law §§ 343, 344, 358, 367.
Bolden & Blake, P. C, for defendant.
Before: Quinn, P. J., and D. F. Walsh and A. M. Bach, JJ.
Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.

Opinion:
A. M. Bach, J.
Defendant was charged with robbery not armed and found guilty. Defendant raises the objection that the proper foundation was not laid for the admission of a prior inconsistent statement made by defendant. This Court finds that a proper foundation was not laid and defendant was thereby prejudiced and it was not cured by a later admission of the entire document. People v Dozier, 22 Mich App 528, 531-532; 177 NW2d 694 (1970), People v Goree, 30 Mich App 490; 186 NW2d 872 (1971).
Reversed and new trial granted.
Quinn, P. J., concurred.