Opinion ID: 2321645
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Limited Witness Testimony

Text: The defendant asserts that the trial justice erred in limiting his examination of Ross and Normand, and frustrated defendant's attempt to proceed on a theory that these two family members were acting in collusion in order to have defendant falsely accused of these charges. This allegation is without merit. This Court repeatedly has recognized the well-established, constitutionally-protected right of a criminal defendant to effective cross-examination of the prosecution's witnesses. State v. Brown, 709 A.2d 465, 473 (R.I.1998); State v. Doctor, 690 A.2d 321, 327 (R.I.1997). The defendant also has the right to present a defense in a criminal case and to pose leading questions to adverse witnesses. See Doctor, 690 A.2d at 327 (concluding that effective cross-examination is integral to the presentation of a full and fair defense under the state and federal constitutions); State v. Casiano, 667 A.2d 1233, 1241 (R.I.1995) (stating that the compulsory process clause of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of a criminal defendant to offer the testimony of witnesses on her or his behalf and to compel the testimony of such witnesses if necessary); State v. Veluzat, 578 A.2d 93, 94 (R.I.1990) (holding that effective cross-examination is an essential element of presenting a full and fair defense). This right is not absolute, however. See Veluzat, 578 A.2d at 95 ([T]he scope of cross-examination, even for the purpose of exposing bias, is not unlimited.). While this [C]ourt has said that fishing on cross-examination is permitted, the trial justice may ask the fisherperson to demonstrate that there is a reasonable possibility there are fish in the pond before the license is issued. State v. Bowden, 473 A.2d 275, 279 (R.I.1984) (quoting State v. Eckhart, 117 R.I. 431, 437, 367 A.2d 1073, 1076 (1977)); see also State v. Brennan, 527 A.2d 654, 657 (R.I.1987). The defendant failed to make even a threshold showing that this line of questioning regarding family collusion was tethered to a meritorious defense. The defendant did not make an offer of proof that the examination he intended to embark upon could lead to relevant evidence. See Brown, 709 A.2d at 474 (holding that failure to make an adequate offer of proof to indicate that additional cross-examination would have developed probative evidence of bias was sufficient grounds for the trial justice to terminate that line of questioning). In the absence of a showing that there was a good-faith factual basis for this inquiry, the trial justice was vested with the discretion to limit it. The record discloses that defendant was afforded ample opportunity to cross-examine the various witnesses at trial. The trial justice noted that, notwithstanding defense counsel's vigorous cross-examination of the complainants, nothing was produced that would tend to show that the complaining witnesses were affected or influenced in any way by these elder family members. The trial justice also expressed his concern that this line of inquiry could cause the trial to stray into areas unrelated to the crimes alleged in the information. We are of the opinion that the trial justice did not abuse his discretion in disallowing this line of questioning. The trial justice's finding that defendant had failed to make any showing to support such a theory was correct, and therefore the evidence was irrelevant and inadmissible.