Opinion ID: 173724
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Videotape of Verdugo's Interrogation

Text: Verdugo next claims that the district court improperly barred him from using the videotape of his interrogation at the Pomona police station to impeach Naylor's trial testimony. Naylor testified on direct examination about the statement Verdugo made when he was arrested, but the subject of the videotaped statement did not come up until cross-examination, when the following exchange occurred: Q. He [Verdugo] didn't admit to anything [during the videotaped statement], either, am I correct sir? A. I don't knowhe didn't admit to it. He said he wanted a lawyer. He said, the only thing I can talk about is against myself. I'm not sure if he admitted it. But I know I talked to him about what we talked about on the scene. So I don't know exactly what was admitted to on tape again. I don't really remember. But I remember speaking to him. He didn't deny what I talked about on the street, if that's what you mean[,] sir. (Trial Tr. vol. 2, 111, Apr. 8, 2008.) At that point, Verdugo's counsel asked the court for permission to play the videotape, arguing that the tape was admissible because it contradicted Naylor's testimony. The court denied counsel's request because it concluded that what [Naylor] ... said about [the] interview is not inconsistent with what the video shows. ( Id. at 120.) We agree with the district court. A party ordinarily may introduce extrinsic evidence to impeach testimony by contradiction if the extrinsic evidence concerns a subject that is not collateral to the issues being tried. United States v. Cruz-Rodriguez, 541 F.3d 19, 30 (1st Cir.2008), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 1017, 173 L.Ed.2d 306 (2009). Here, however, the videotape was properly excluded whether or not it was collateral because it simply did not contradict Naylor's testimony. The only portion of the videotape that arguably bears on the issue of Naylor's credibility is the following exchange: Naylor: I know we spoke for a few minutes on the street. And you said that you never brought any money back... that time. And were talking like that. I just wanna, you know ... so I understand we talked about that on the street. And we talked about um. .[.] the 29 kilos that you brought there. That's the stuff we talked about on the street. We're not going to talk about this now, do you understand. Cause you're saying now you need a lawyer. But on the street when you were talking to me about that. .[.] um, um. .[.] that's why you're being brought up here. Do you understand? That's why we're here from Rhode Island. You understand that[,] correct? Verdugo I don't know what you're talking about. In responding to Naylor, Verdugo disclaimed knowledge about their prior discussion, but he did not deny his alleged role in the conspiracy. Thus, the videotape is consistent with Naylor's testimony that Verdugo didn't deny what [Naylor] talked about on the street. Verdugo also incorrectly claims for the first time on appeal that the court should have admitted the videotape pursuant to the rule of completeness embodied in Fed.R.Evid. 106. The short answer to this claim is that Rule 106 does not apply to testimony about unrecorded oral statements such as the one that Verdugo gave to Naylor and Cardello when he was arrested. United States v. Lopez-Medina, 596 F.3d 716, 734 (10th Cir.2010). In any event, while the district court retained substantial discretion under Fed.R.Evid. 611(a) to apply the rule of completeness to oral statements, id., Naylor cites no case law that supports the use of the rule under these circumstances. The rule of completeness ordinarily comes into play when a statement is offered to explain another statement that is being admitted into evidence. See Fed.R.Evid. 106 advisory committee's note (The rule is based on two considerations. The first is the misleading impression created by taking matters out of context. The second is the inadequacy of repair work when delayed to a point later in the trial.). It does not ordinarily allow otherwise inadmissible evidence to be used to create doubt as to whether the admitted statement was ever made. Accordingly, the district court did not commit plain error in refusing to admit the videotape under the rule of completeness.