Opinion ID: 2270446
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Audiotape Admissible

Text: Brooks contends that the trial judge erred to his substantial prejudice and denied him his Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against him when the trial judge permitted the unredacted recorded statement of Mary Wood made to the police to be played for the jury even though she was not present at this trial. We disagree. This assignment of error is related to the first issue involving the prior testimony of Wood. At the pretrial hearing the day before the trial, the trial judge considered the issue of the admissibility of the prior testimony of Wood. One of the objections raised by defense counsel was that he, unlike his predecessor in the previous trial, did not intend to cross-examine Wood by introducing her taped statement to the police. Brooks notes that defense counsel claimed that this decision was an exception to the exception under KRE 804(b)(1) because, under his analysis, the rule referred not only to there having been an opportunity to cross-examine the witness during former testimony, but also a similar motive with regard thereto. The trial judge heard additional arguments on this question the morning of trial. He overruled the objections to the admissibility of the taped statement made to police. Such ruling was not erroneous. Defense counsel introduced the taped statement of Wood at the second trial for the purpose of impeachment. As we previously determined in this opinion, Brooks waived the issue concerning the availability of Wood at the third trial and the trial judge correctly admitted her earlier testimony as the equivalent of a deposition. See RCr 7.20 and RCr 7.22. The former testimony was subject to all the proper exceptions and objections which could have been advanced to exclude the testimony of the witness when it was first given. See RCr 7.20(2). This is the general rule followed in most jurisdictions. See John E. Theuman, Annotation, Former Testimony Used at Subsequent Trial as Subject to Ordinary Objections and Exceptions, 40 A.L.R.4th 514 (1985). Some jurisdictions, however, have carved out an exception to the general rule based on the concept of waiver. See Theuman, supra, citing e.g., Scribner v. Palmer, 90 Wash. 595, 156 P. 531 (1916) which upheld the denial of the defendant's objections as to the competency of certain former testimony by a deceased plaintiff because the defendant himself elicited that testimony in cross-examination at the former trial. We agree with those jurisdictions and find that waiver occurred here when defense counsel introduced the taped statement at the second trial. The purported change in trial strategy was not sufficient grounds to sustain the objection. Nor does KRE 804(b)(1) require the exclusion of otherwise admissible prior testimony because of changes in, or second thoughts about, trial strategy. The trial judge correctly admitted the prior testimony of Wood including her taped statement to police. There was no Sixth Amendment violation.