Opinion ID: 170473
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Perry's Testimony at the Preliminary Hearing

Text: Perry gave the same account at the preliminary hearing on May 3, 2005. When asked on direct examination whether he had receive[d] information at some point from a witness or witnesses that tied Mr. Rangel to the bag, R. Vol. III at 7, he responded, Yes, there was a witness who was on the bus, who informed me that they observed Mr. Rangel remove that small black bag that was inside of the red and black duffel bag that he claimed to be his, he removed it from that bag and placed it underneath the seat that was directly beside him. Id. at 7-8. Defense counsel cross-examined Perry regarding the alleged witness: Q: Did the alleged eyewitness approach you or the other officer with information about what he saw? A: Yes. Q: Did you personally observe the demeanor of that witness? A: I spoke with the witness, yes. Q: Did that witness appear to be nervous in any way? A: No. Q: Sweating? A: No. Q: Did you have any reason to rely on the credibility of that witness from any other information you had about that witness? A: They seemed to be credible to me, yes. Q: Simply from your observations on the bus? A: I don'tI don't understand your question? Q: Did you know that witness before? A: Yes. . . . . . Q: Did that eyewitness provide you with accurate information in the past? A: Yes. Q: Was it about drugs specifically? A: Yes. Q: Has that witness testified before? A: I'm not aware if they have or not. Not in any cases I've been involved in. Q: How many contacts have you had with that witness? A: What do you mean by contact? Q: Obtaining information  I'm talking about reason to rely on that witness. In other words, how much you contacted that witness? A: I've had  when you say contact, I've had like verbal contact probably hundreds of times. Q: Is it  is it fair to say that that witness was involved in drugs? A: To my knowledge, no. Q: Was he working off any charges? A: With me, no. . . . . . Q: Did you or the other agent ask any of the other passengers if they saw Mr. De La Campa take that small black bag out of his bag? A: Yes, we did. Q: Did anyone else see that? A: The one witness that I stated earlier, no one else observed that. Q: Besides that witness, no one saw that? A: Correct. Q: Did you specifically ask people about that bag, as it related to Mr. De La Campa? A: I asked everyone on the bus if it belonged to them or if they knew who it belonged to. Q: Did you ask them if they saw Mr. De La Campa touch that black bag? A: I didn't ask that question, no. Id. at 12-14. In short, Perry testified at the preliminary hearing that he had talked with a person who had observed Mr. Rangel's reported actions on the bus, a person with whom he had had verbal contact hundreds of times. Id. at 13.