Opinion ID: 2978059
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Peake’s Redirect Examination

Text: Next, Pope contends that the district court abused its discretion by allowing the government to question Peake on redirect regarding matters not addressed on cross-examination. On cross, Pope’s counsel did not ask Peake about her interactions with Pope except those that occurred on -9- No. 08-1219 United States v. Pope December 12, 2006. Nevertheless, after learning that the direct examination confused her, the government revisited Peake’s knowledge of Pope’s involvement in earlier drug deals. Defense counsel objected, but the district court permitted the questioning to continue. “The scope of redirect examination is committed to the sound discretion of the court.” United States v. Brown, 276 F.3d 211, 218 (6th Cir. 2002). “The tradition in the federal courts has been to limit the scope of redirect examination to the subject matter brought out on crossexamination.” United States v. Riggi, 951 F.2d 1368, 1375 (3d Cir. 1991). In overruling Pope’s objection, the district court explained that because Peake’s earlier testimony evinced inconsistencies with statements she made during pre-trial interviews, the government could have recalled the agents to impeach Peake, and then recalled Peake to explain the discrepancies, yielding the same testimony. Rather than require such “superfluous” procedural steps, the district court simply allowed the government to use redirect to let Peake clarify her earlier testimony. The district court noted that the defense “had a full opportunity to explore Peake’s inconsistent testimony on recross-examination,” and therefore suffered no prejudice. Moreover, nothing showed “that a new trial would be more fair or that Peake would again give inconsistent testimony.” To be sure, Peake’s testimony on redirect exceeded the scope of cross, but as the district court noted in its opinion, Federal Rule of Evidence 611 provides that “[t]he court shall exercise reasonable control over the mode and order of interrogating witnesses and presenting evidence so - 10 - No. 08-1219 United States v. Pope as to . . . avoid needless consumption of time.” The testimony provided on redirect unquestionably was admissible, albeit through an elaborate procedure involving recalling the government agents to impeach Peake, and subsequently recalling Peake to explain the differences. Requiring the prosecution to jump through such procedural hoops would only have wasted time. The net effect was the same, and the change in Peake’s testimony was not lost on anyone, but in fact was a focal point of the defense’s credibility argument to the jury. Under these circumstances, the decision to allow Peake’s redirect testimony fell within the sound exercise of the trial court’s broad discretion over evidentiary matters.