Opinion ID: 346692
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: garcia's prior inconsistent statement

Text: 8  Prior statements of witnesses are hearsay and are generally inadmissible as affirmative proof. United States v. Gregory, 472 F.2d 484, 487 (5th Cir. 1973). It is a well-established principle of evidence that prior inconsistent statements of a witness are admissible to impeach that witness. See Slade v. United States, 267 F.2d 834 (5th Cir. 1959); United States v. Gregory, supra; United States v. Garcia, 530 F.2d 650 (5th Cir. 1976). In the past, this Court has adhered to the orthodox view that such statements should not be introduced as substantive evidence, but should be used only to impeach credibility. United States v. Hill, 481 F.2d 929, 932 (5th Cir. 1973), cert. denied, 414 U.S. 1115, 94 S.Ct. 847, 38 L.Ed.2d 742. Under this view, a party's impeachment of his own witness was limited by the element of surprise. United States v. Gregory, supra; United States v. Hill, supra. The new Federal Rules of Evidence, effective July 1, 1975, permit impeachment of a witness by any party, including the party calling him. Fed.R.Evid. 607. Under Rule 607 the government's impeachment of Garcia by her prior inconsistent statement was proper without a showing of surprise. 5 See United States v. Alvarez, 548 F.2d 542, 543 (5th Cir. 1977); United States v. Sisto, 534 F.2d 616, 623 n. 8 (5th Cir. 1976). But this works no change in the traditional view that prior unsworn inconsistent statements are hearsay 6 and generally should not be considered by the jury as direct evidence of guilt. 7 United States v. Sisto, supra, 534 F.2d at 623. See also United States v. Beasley, 545 F.2d 403, 405-406 (5th Cir. 1977).