Opinion ID: 1130214
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Testimony of Clara Calderon

Text: At trial Calderon testified that defendant, during a visit with him while he was in jail, admitted that he knew there was marijuana in the car and that it was his. After her visit with defendant, Calderon was interviewed by a police detective regarding that conversation, and she repeated what defendant had told her. However, during her testimony at trial, Calderon stated that she had talked to the detective prior to her visit with defendant. The State then used a transcript of the recording the detective had made in order to refresh her recollection of the timing of the events and, also, to impeach her trial testimony. Defendant contends that several errors occurred during the testimony of Calderon. He contends that she was an informant for the police and that by initiating a conversation with him regarding the charged crime, his right to counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, was violated. Further, he alleges that her statements, which were hearsay, were improperly admitted as substantive evidence. Defendant additionally argues that if the statements were admitted for impeachment purposes, then the trial court erred by not sua sponte giving the jury a limiting instruction. A careful review of the record has convinced us that Calderon did not talk to police until after her visit with defendant; consequently, there was no violation of his Sixth Amendment right to counsel. Kuhlmann v. Wilson, 477 U.S. 436, 459, 106 S.Ct. 2616, 2630, 91 L.Ed.2d 364 (1986); see also State v. Teel, 793 S.W.2d 236, 245 (Tenn. 1990) (defendant must show that agents of the state deliberately induced, enticed or prompted incriminating remarks to require suppression). The government may not intrude into the attorney-client relationship to the prejudice of a criminal defendant. Illinois v. Perkins, 496 U.S. 292, 299, 110 S.Ct. 2394, 2398-99, 110 L.Ed.2d 243 (1990); Haworth v. State, 840 P.2d 912, 916-17 (Wyo. 1992). Absent a waiver of that right, the government may not initiate any interrogation about the charged crime. Suliber v. State, 866 P.2d 85, 90-91 (Wyo.1993). In this case the police did not initiate contact with defendant. Contrary to defendant's claims, the record clearly demonstrates that Calderon had not talked with the police detective prior to her conversation with defendant. The record also is clear on the fact that Calderon's prior out-of-court statements were not substantively introduced into evidence. Rather, they were used for impeachment purposes and to refresh her recollection, uses which are permitted under our rules of evidence. W.R.E. 607 and 612. In the same vein, we find no error in the trial court not giving a limiting instruction sua sponte. It is the duty of counsel to request such an instruction when it is desired. W.R.E. 105; Sybert v. State, 724 P.2d 463, 467-68 (Wyo.1986); see also Channel v. State, 592 P.2d 1145, 1150 (Wyo.1979) (error not to give limiting instruction on prior statements used for impeachment when requested by defense counsel). There are sound reasons for requiring the opponent to request the trial judge to limit the scope of the evidence by instructing the jury.    [T]his manner of proceeding appropriately leaves to the opposing trial counsel the option of concluding that, as a matter of strategy, he is better off without an instruction than with one, in that an instruction would serve only to remind the jury of what it has heard or to re-emphasize the evidence in the minds of the jurors, and perhaps to suggest to the jury a use for the evidence which is best left unmentioned. Sybert, 724 P.2d at 467; ( quoting 1 D. Louisell & C. Mueller, Federal Evidence § 45, at 342-343 (1977)). If we were to require the trial judge to sua sponte issue such instructions, we would remove from opposing counsel the option to choose for himself for reasons of strategy whether he desired the instruction or not. We decline to do so.