Opinion ID: 1237936
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Improper Offer of Proof

Text: Patricia Sewell testified as a defense witness about her acquaintance with defendant while he was an inmate at the prison in Montana. Later, defense witness Fred Perry, who had been one of defendant's fellow inmates in prisons in Montana and Idaho, testified about the poor living conditions and mistreatment of inmates at those prisons. On cross-examination, the prosecutor asked if he knew Sewell. The defense objected on relevance grounds and the court asked for an offer of proof. The prosecutor said, I'm going to ask him if he finds it strange that she didn't mention that these people.... Defense counsel interrupted and requested that the prosecutor make the offer of proof out of the jury's presence. At the bench, the prosecutor said that Sewell's testimony had not indicated that she had seen any injuries to defendant, that he had complained to her about beatings or living conditions, or that she had taken any steps to publicize the deplorable prison environment that Perry had described. The court noted that this might be a proper subject for argument, but that it would be improper to ask Perry to explain omissions in Sewell's testimony. (117) Defendant argues that the prosecutor committed misconduct because the proposed questions were clearly improper for two reasons. First, as the trial court noted, Perry could not be expected to explain omissions in Sewell's testimony. Second, any attempt by the defense to show that defendant had complained to Sewell about prison conditions would have been barred by the hearsay rule. We agree that the proposed examination of Perry was improper, although we note that Sewell herself could have been asked whether she personally observed any injuries to inmates or other signs of mistreatment. We also conclude, however, that the trial court's ruling sustaining the defense objection avoided any conceivable prejudice. The improper questions were never asked. Defendant also argues that the prosecutor acted improperly by attempting to make his offer of proof in front of the jury. The prosecutor's conduct was neither improper nor prejudicial. The trial court requested an immediate offer of proof and did not ask counsel to approach the bench. In any event, the prosecutor's offer in the jury's hearing was interrupted and completed at the bench. The portion of the offer that the jury heard, consisting of a single incomplete sentence, contained nothing prejudicial to the defense.