Opinion ID: 448949
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Testimony of Witnesses Haas and McCall

Text: 10 The appellant contends that the district court erred in admitting the testimony of key government witness Thomas Haas and in limiting the cross-examination of witnesses Haas and James McCall. Haas had been involved in drug smuggling for several years. He was indicted and tried in federal court in California, and after the trial resulted in a hung jury, he entered a plea bargain. He admitted on cross-examination at this trial that he had committed perjury in the California trial. He subsequently entered a plea bargain in Alabama which insulated him from prosecution for all his past smuggling activities. The length of the sentence recommended under the bargain could vary depending on Haas's performance under the agreement to cooperate with government investigators. 11 Appellant argues that Haas's admission of perjury in the California trial renders his testimony so shoddy that the court should have found it incredible as a matter of law, citing United States v. Haderlein, 118 F.Supp. 346 (N.D.Ill.1953) (no evidence to go to jury as matter of law when sole witness is co-conspirator who admits he gave perjured testimony on the same issue to the grand jury). The government responds that Haderlein is distinguishable because the perjured testimony there was given to the grand jury in the same case and because there was no corroboration of the witnesses' testimony in Haderlein. Here the perjured testimony was in an unrelated trial in which Haas was the defendant and there were two additional accomplice witnesses against Head. We do not interfere with the exercise of the trial court's discretion as to this matter. 12 Appellant next argues that the court erred in limiting his cross-examination of Haas concerning the plea bargains and the perjury and his cross-examination of witness McCall concerning an outstanding state arrest on another felony. Appellant contends the limitation violated his Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses. Alford v. United States, 282 U.S. 687, 51 S.Ct. 218, 75 L.Ed. 624 (1931); Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 315-16, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 1109-10, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974). He argues that the cross-examination of a witness concerning his credibility should be given the largest possible scope, especially when plea negotiations may motivate the witness to testify so as to please the prosecution. United States v. Mayer, 556 F.2d 245 (5th Cir.1977). 13 The government responds that Haas was cross-examined extensively concerning his plea bargains and prior smuggling activities (for some 70 pages of the transcript). It notes that the district court ruled Haas could be cross-examined concerning specific acts of misconduct bearing on his propensity to commit perjury and that Haas admitted in his testimony that he lied in the California trial. It argues that the only testimony excluded concerned the details of the testimony in the California trial and that the court did not abuse its discretion in excluding this testimony under Fed.R.Evid. 403 as confusing and a waste of time. The government argues that the cross-examination of McCall concerning his state arrest was properly excluded under Fed.R.Evid. 609(a) and that the court gave the defendant an opportunity, of which it did not take advantage, to present testimony concerning the defendant's theory that negotiations on the state charge affected McCall's testimony in this trial. We agree with the trial court's disposition of these two issues.