Opinion ID: 476836
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Quashed Subpoena

Text: 37 Matranga contends that the trial court erred when it quashed a trial subpoena Matranga had served on Phillip Manuel. We review the grant of a motion to quash a subpoena for abuse of discretion. United States v. Berberian, 767 F.2d 1324 (9th Cir.1985). 38 During the trial, Matranga served a subpoena on Phillip Manuel, who was a member of the President's Organized Crime Commission and was formerly a member of the United States Senate Subcommittee on Investigations. Manuel filed an application to quash the subpoena; the district court ordered the subpoena quashed on the grounds that Manuel's testimony would involve only collateral matters and that Manuel may have had a constitutional privilege against testifying. 39 Matranga argues that Manuel's testimony was relevant because it would have proved that Hall had lied when he denied having been a government informant and it would have revealed that Manuel had played a role in the surplus TV scheme. 40 Neither argument has merit. Manuel's testimony would have constituted extrinsic evidence attacking Hall's credibility, evidence prohibited by Fed.R.Evid. 608(b). Furthermore, as the district court noted, the evidence showed that, although Hall told others that Manuel was his Washington, D.C. contact for the surplus TV deal, Manuel knew nothing about it. Thus, there was no evidentiary conflict that required Manuel's testimony. Hence, the district court did not abuse its discretion when it ordered the quashing of the Manuel trial subpoena.