Opinion ID: 2352390
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: testimony of kathy hollenbeck

Text: Appellant next submits he was denied his right of confrontation pursuant to both the United States and Kentucky Constitutions. During the penalty phase of the trial, the Commonwealth called Kathy Hollenbeck, Appellant's federal probation officer. The Commonwealth told the jury that because she worked for a United States district judge, she was prohibited by the judge from testifying about any matter other than Appellant's release date from federal custody. Accordingly, her testimony on direct examination was limited to stating Appellant's release date from federal custody. In lieu of asking any questions upon cross-examination, Appellant's counsel moved to strike Ms. Hollenbeck's testimony as a Confrontation Clause violation due to its limited scope as declared by the Commonwealth. The prosecutor argued that Appellant was not barred in any way from asking the witness questions, but that he would simply object for the record. Appellant's counsel stated that asking questions in that situation would be pointless. The trial court overruled Appellant's motion to strike. The trial court's decision whether to strike all or part of the witness's testimony is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Adkins v. Commonwealth, 96 S.W.3d 779, 789 (Ky.2003). Our rules provide that a trial judge may limit cross-examination with respect to those matters not testified to on direct examination. KRE 611. When cross-examination is precluded only with respect to collateral issues, the Sixth Amendment does not require the court to strike the witness's testimony. Combs v. Commonwealth, 74 S.W.3d 738, 744 (Ky.2002). First, we note that cross-examination was not at all denied to Appellant in this case, and if it was, it was denied only with respect to collateral issues unrelated to those which were testified to on direct examination. Second, we find nothing apparent on the record to lead us to believe that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to strike the witness's limited testimony or that the truth-seeking function of the court was impaired in anyway. Id. at 743. As such, we find no abuse of discretion by the trial court regarding its refusal to strike Ms. Hollenbeck's testimony.