Opinion ID: 2178431
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Court's denial of cross-examination concerning alleged inconsistent statements of State's witness in the District Court.

Text: During the course of the prosecutrix's cross-examination the following colloquy took place: Q. In the District Court under cross-examination didn't you say at that time you were driving? A. I don't believe so. Q. Didn't you say in the District Court under cross-examination that the reason that you stopped was because you didn't have a license? A. I couldn't have gotten out of that snowbank anyways. Conrad had to push while Bruce was driving out the second time, because they thought I'd get stuck again. Q. And didn't you say in the District Court [State's Attorney] I am going to object. The Court: Is there a record? Is there a transcript of the District Court hearing? [Defense Attorney]: Not that I know of. I wasn't there, present, your Honor.       The Court: Well then, what are we doing quoting District Court testimony?       The Court: I am not interested unless someone was there, heard it, and will testify to it.       [Defense Attorney]: I am going to eliminate that for the time being, your Honor. The defendant's trial attorney did not further attempt to discredit the testimony of the prosecutrix either by seeking to draw from her any other alleged previous inconsistent statements or by introducing any such evidence through the testimony of witnesses at the preliminary probable cause hearing. His present attorney views the trial Court's limitation on cross-examination as a reversible abuse of judicial discretion, especially after the District Court's refusal of defendant's request for a continuance of the probable cause hearing for the purpose of procuring the services of a court reporter. No legal grievance is shown. Initially, we note that the defendant's attorney expressly informed the Court that he was abandoning for the time being these cross-examination tactics. He thereafter never pressed the issue in the course of the trial. Such deliberate withdrawal in the presence of the jury, though stated to be only for the time being, could possibly have been a strategic maneuver in an area where counsel was merely probing without backup support. By such express conduct defendant's counsel effectively waived any possible error which the Court below might otherwise have committed in restricting the cross-examination. However, the Court's ruling was correct. It is true that, whenever a witness has testified to any material facts, his statements out of court or at a former judicial proceeding which appear inconsistent with his present testimony are admissible in evidence for the purpose of impeaching his credibility. State v. Kingsbury, 1870, 58 Me. 238; State v. McDonald, 1876, 65 Me. 466; State v. Warner, 1967, Me., 237 A.2d 150. The defendant could have done so by offering the testimony of any person at the probable cause hearing who heard and recollected any inconsistent declarations which the prosecutrix may have made and there was no necessity for him to lay any foundation for such later contradiction. Ware v. Ware, 8 Me. 42; State v. Blake, 1845, 25 Me. 350; Wilkins v. Babbershall, 1850, 32 Me. 184; Currier v. Bangor Railway & Electric Company, 1920, 119 Me. 313, 111 A. 333. To continue exercising his right to cross-examine the prosecutrix in the manner he was pursuing, it became incumbent upon the defendant on objection to show that he had a present ability later to offer the impeaching evidence his cross-examination was seeking to flush out. He had no right to discredit the witness through unsupportable and indiscriminate implications, even in question form, that the witness may have given contradictory testimony at a previous judicial proceeding, on the mere chance the witness may give answers favorable to the defendant. Any other rule would permit a full scale fishing expedition which could possibly serve no other end than bring confusion to the jury and unduly waste the Court's time. See, State v. Reed, 1872, 60 Me. 550, 553; Wallace v. State, 1965, Del., 211 A.2d 845; State v. Simon, 1935, 115 N.J.L. 207, 178 A. 728. Furthermore, the cross-examining attorney made no proffer to the Court below of the expected answer to his question and the nature of the impeaching evidence. A party complaining about the exclusion of evidence must show affirmatively that the exclusion has prejudiced him. The answers to the first two questions were in the negative and the answers to any further inquiry along the same line could have been the same and thus no advantage nor aggrievement would have accrued to the defendant. State v. Rist, 1931, 130 Me. 163, 154 A. 178. The Court was justified in eliminating from the trial an unfair practice which consists of impeaching a witness by innuendoes respecting alleged inconsistent statements of the witness existing solely in the overactive imagination of the cross-examiner. As in International Paper Company v. State, 1968, Me., 248 A.2d 749, the defendant was in no way prevented from revealing the existence of inconsistent prior testimony, if in fact any had been given at the probable cause hearing. Without an offer of proof, the Court's ruling in limiting cross-examination as he did was within sound judicial discretion and this point of appeal is without merit.