Opinion ID: 406418
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: F. B. I. Agent Lunde's Report of His Interview with Robinson

Text: 32 Ann Robinson testified that Lawson was with her at his home and, later, at a bar on the day the Niagara County Savings Bank robbery took place. The government used prior inconsistent statements made by Robinson to F. B. I. Agent Lunde to discredit her testimony. During the cross-examination of Robinson, government counsel used Lunde's written report of those statements to impeach her direct testimony by getting her to admit that she was not sure what days she met Lawson and, ultimately, to admit that it was so long ago, I really can't remember if it was the same day or what. 33 Under Fed.R.Evid. 613(a), a prior statement of a witness used in cross-examining that witness must be disclosed to opposing counsel on request. Such a request was made on several occasions and refused for reasons which are none too clear. The government does not deny the applicability of Rule 613(a), that requests for disclosure were made or that they were improperly refused. We are told only that the impropriety was harmless error. At least in the absence of a claim of privilege or confidentiality, Rule 613(a) does not allow for the exercise of discretion. It flatly commands disclosure of a document such as this to opposing counsel. To the extent that Robinson is cross-examined upon a new trial as to prior inconsistent statements in Lunde's report, the report obviously must be given to defense counsel. Since the government can now achieve its purposes by using Robinson's inconsistent statements at trial induced by use of the report in the first instance, we believe the report must be disclosed if she is cross-examined at all on the relevant subject matter.