Opinion ID: 2425742
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Cross-Examination of the Appellant

Text: Appellant testified in his own defense. During the cross-examination of appellant, the State asked appellant if he committed numerous sexual acts which the victim had previously testified had occurred. In conducting the cross-examination, the deputy prosecutor repeatedly referred to a statement given by the victim to Deputy Sheriff Gladys Dulyea. Again, appellant admits that he did not timely object to the prosecutor's line of questioning. After extensive cross-examination concerning statements the victim made to law enforcement about the specific instances of abuse, the appellant made the following single objection: COUNSEL FOR APPELLANT: Your Honor, I'm going to have to object. I don't mind if he wants to cross the situations that the girl spoke of, but to just rattle on forever without evidence or testimony that [the victim] wrote up her own, I feel is improper. The trial court sustained the objection, stating that the deputy prosecutor should not read the statement. To preserve an issue for appeal, a defendant must object at the first opportunity. Smallwood v. State, 326 Ark. 813, 935 S.W.2d 530 (1996); Hill v. State, 285 Ark. 77, 685 S.W.2d 495 (1995). In addition, a defendant must renew his objection each time he is questioned about a matter; and, when a question previously objected to is repeated, and there is no second objection, the matter is waived on appeal. See Stephens v. State, 328 Ark. 81, 941 S.W.2d 411 (1997); Walker v. State, 301 Ark. 218, 783 S.W.2d 44 (1990). In the case at bar, appellant certainly failed to object at the first opportunity. Furthermore, he only objected to one of many questions concerning the victim's statement. This issue was, therefore, not preserved for appeal.