Opinion ID: 1476430
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Cross-Examination of Thea Williams

Text: Appellants also claim that they were impermissibly prevented from cross-examining Ms. Williams about her activities as a prostitute after the night of September 19-20, 1995. This argument is without merit. In Bryant's first trial, defense counsel sought to introduce evidence of Ms. Williams' prostitution-related activities after the events of September 19 and 20. [16] Counsel sought to show that because Williams continued to work as a prostitute after the incident, she might have consented to the sexual activity in the van on the night in question. [17] Counsel also maintained that such testimony would help the jury evaluate Ms. Williams' credibility and was constitutionally required. [18] After considering these arguments, the court held that such evidence was of extraordinarily marginal relevance and that balancing the probative nature of this [evidence] against its prejudice makes absolutely clear that the prejudice outweighs it. The court therefore refused to allow the requested cross-examination. [19] In considering whether evidence such as this was properly excluded, this court is highly deferential to the trial court's decision and will not overturn it except on a showing that the trial court gravely abused its discretion. See, e.g., Umanzor v. United States, 803 A.2d 983, 1000 (D.C.2002). We find no such abuse on the record before us. In a sex offense case, evidence of a victim's sexual history with someone other than the defendant is generally inadmissible. See D.C.Code §§ 22-3021, 22-3022 (2001) (limiting evidence of past sexual conduct to reputation and opinion evidence in most cases); see also McLean v. United States, 377 A.2d 74, 78 (D.C.1977) (rape victims cannot be questioned about other sexual activity). These protections exist even if the victim is a prostitute. Hagins v. United States, 639 A.2d 612, 615-616 (D.C.1994); Brewer v. United States, supra note 6, 559 A.2d at 320. To admit evidence of sexual activity after the date of the offenses in this case would tend only to suggest that because Ms. Williams continued to have sex at some point after being raped, she therefore consented on the night in question. That is exactly the type of speculation that the law seeks to prevent. See, e.g., Hagins, 639 A.2d at 615; McLean, 377 A.2d at 78-79. Our decision in Street v. United States, 602 A.2d 141 (D.C.1992), on which appellants rely, does not support their argument that evidence of post-rape activity is probative of consent. In Street this court upheld the admission of testimony about changes in a victim's post-rape behavior [20] to show a lack of consent. Id. at 144. It does not logically follow, however, that evidence of a rape victim's sexual activity after the incident shows that she consented to the alleged rape. Such a holding would turn Street on its head. Appellants also cite Henson v. State, 535 N.E.2d 1189 (Ind.1989), to support their argument that because Ms. Williams continued to work as a prostitute after September 20, her behavior made it less probable that a rape occurred. Aside from the fact that Henson is not binding on this court, the evidence in that case showed that the victim's conduct on the day after an alleged rape was not consistent with the expected behavior of someone who had suffered such a traumatic event. [21] In this case, the evidence that appellants sought to present would have showed only that Ms. Williams did not give up her work as a prostitute after the night in question. Moreover, unlike the evidence in Henson, which showed non-sexual behavior, Ms. Williams' post-rape activities as a prostitute were plainly sexual. Proof of such activities was therefore barred by the rape shield law, as well as the McLean line of cases. We hold accordingly that evidence of her decision to continue working as a prostitute was not constitutionally required to be admitted, as appellants maintain. See, e.g., Fensterer, 474 U.S. at 20, 106 S.Ct. 292.