Opinion ID: 2184368
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: K.D. was available for cross-examination and Pierce waived the right.

Text: It is apparent from the record that both the parties and the court were unaware of the 1994 amendments. Pierce cited the 1990 version of the statute in his brief asserting a Shoup right to cross-examination before trial but after the competency determination. In response, the court affirmatively gave Pierce the opportunity to cross-examine before conclusion of the trial but not at the hearing contemplated by the statute. Nonetheless, because the 1994 statute was in effect at the time of trial, there was no error if K.D. was available for cross-examination at the hearing as required by the then controlling version of IND.CODE § 35-37-4-6. K.D. testified at the hearing. There are no signs in the record, and Pierce does not contend, that the court blocked Pierce from questioning K.D. or suggested that cross-examining her would not be allowed. Rather, there simply was no cross-examination of K.D. without any statement by the court or counsel as to why or whether that was required. Pierce's counsel did not interpose an objection at the hearing or ask to examine K.D. before the next witness was called. In this respect, this case is in sharp contrast to Miller I, where the trial court made clear no examination of the child would be permitted. Miller I, 517 N.E.2d at 73. Under these facts, we conclude that K.D. was available for cross-examination and that Pierce waived his right to question her. Courts have significant leeway in determining how, and to what extent, they allow witnesses to be questioned on cross-examination. Evid.R. 611; Fox v. State, 506 N.E.2d 1090, 1093 (Ind.1987). Here, K.D. was on the witness stand and the court did not prevent the defense from questioning her. This satisfies the statutory requirement of availability. Notwithstanding K.D.'s availability, Pierce conducted no cross-examination. Exercise of cross-examination is primarily the prerogative of the defendant. In general, failure to request the opportunity to cross-examine a witness at trial called by the opposing party waives the right. Webb v. State, 266 Ind. 554, 555, 364 N.E.2d 1016, 1018 (1977); Trout v. Trout, 638 N.E.2d 1306, 1308 (Ind.Ct.App.1994), trans. denied. As we have stated, [a] trial judge has no affirmative duty to ascertain whether a defendant is passing up cross-examination because of tactical considerations or through oversight or error. Webb, 364 N.E.2d at 1018. The same rule has been applied in the federal courts, e.g., United States v. Cook, 530 F.2d 145, 153 (7th Cir.1976), and with good reason. It is common knowledge that a witness called by the other side in any judicial proceeding can usually be cross-examined. Indeed, Pierce's counsel questioned two of the three other witnesses for the State that took the stand during the hearing. When K.D. was examined, however, Pierce chose to do nothing. Pierce claims he was relying on Shoup and was waiting for the court to offer him a pretrial opportunity for cross-examination. This decision to decline questioning is as readily explainable as a tactical judgment that nothing useful could be accomplished with such a small child. See Brookhart v. Janis, 384 U.S. 1, 8, 86 S.Ct. 1245, 1249, 16 L.Ed.2d 314 (1966) (calling decision to cross-examine specific witness very clearly one for counsel alone and a tactical choice) (Harlan, J., concurring). Indeed, Pierce also declined to cross-examine K.D.'s mother at the hearing. Whatever his motives, Pierce's failure to request an opportunity to question K.D. at the hearing, and his failure to interpose an objection to the closing of the hearing without cross-examination, constituted a waiver of the right. The State contends that Pierce once more waived any right to cross-examination near the end of the trial when K.D. was produced for this explicit purpose and he declined to question her. We cannot agree. First, the statute provides for cross-examination at the hearing. Second, at that point in Pierce's trial the jury had already heard the statements admitted under the authority of the statute. Cross-examination at that stage, even if effective or revealing a basis for excluding the statements, would come too late. However, no reversal is required because K.D. was available at the hearing within the meaning of the statute for the reasons we have explained.