Opinion ID: 2264644
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Impeachment of Witnesses

Text: Additionally, the heart of petitioner's argument was that both Tracy and Kelly Dillon lied to conceal criminal activity committed by Kelly Dillon. Independent of our analysis of other crimes evidence, the evidence of Tracy Dillon's reaction to Mr. Pitman's statement was admissible on cross-examination because it was probative of her motive to lie. Petitioner should also have been allowed to bring in this evidence in order to impeach the credibility of Dillon. Maryland Rule 5-616(b)(3) states: Extrinsic evidence of bias, prejudice, interest, or other motive to testify falsely may be admitted whether or not the witness has been examined about the impeaching fact and has failed to admit it. Under Maryland law, a witness may be impeached by cross-examination to show that the witness previously made inconsistent statements. To impeach a witness by a prior inconsistent statement, a proper foundation must be laid. When using a previously made oral statement for impeachment, the cross-examiner must inform the witness of the time and place the statement was made, the person to whom it was made, and its substance. Bane v. State, 73 Md.App. 135, 155, 533 A.2d 309, 319 (1987) (citations omitted); see also Hankins v. State, 80 Md.App. 647, 657, 565 A.2d 686, 691 (1989). Implied in this rule of law is that the facts and circumstances surrounding the inconsistent statements need to be made known to the trier of fact. This is because a trier of fact is not obliged to believe all that it hears, Phelps v. Goldberg, 270 Md. 694, 705, 313 A.2d 683, 689 (1974), and is free to believe only a portion of the evidence of each side, Racine v. Wheeler, 245 Md. 139, 144, 225 A.2d 444, 447 (1967) (citing Maryland Chem. Co. v. Monn, 241 Md. 127, 215 A.2d 731 (1966)). Stated otherwise, it may believe or disbelieve, credit or disregard, any evidence introduced, and a reviewing court may not decide on appeal how much weight must be given to each item of evidence. Great Coastal Express, Inc. v. Schruefer, 34 Md.App. 706, 725, 369 A.2d 118, 129 (1977). Without knowledge of the facts surrounding Tracy Dillon's inconsistent statements the trier of fact in the case sub judice had no opportunity to assess her credibility. In Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974), the United States Supreme Court recognized that [c]ross-examination is the principal means by which the believability of a witness and the truth of his testimony are tested.... [T]he cross-examiner is not only permitted to delve into the witness' story to test the witness' perceptions and memory, but the cross-examiner has traditionally been allowed to impeach, i.e., discredit, the witness. One way of discrediting the witness is to introduce evidence of a prior criminal conviction of that witness.... A more particular attack on the witness' credibility is effected by means of cross-examination directed toward revealing possible biases, prejudices, or ulterior motives of the witness as they may relate directly to issues or personalities in the case at hand. The partiality of a witness is subject to exploration at trial, and is always relevant as discrediting the witness and affecting the weight of his testimony. Id. at 316, 94 S.Ct. at 1110, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (quoting 3A Wigmore, supra, § 940, at 775 (Chadbourn rev.1970)). Pursuant to this rationale, petitioner should have been allowed to introduce the surrounding facts and circumstances concerning Tracy Dillon's inconsistent statements and introduce his theory of the case. The proffered evidence certainly was probative of both Tracy and Kelly Dillon's motive to testify falsely. If petitioner's version of the story was true, clearly Tracy and Kelly Dillon had bias, prejudice, interest, or other motive to testify falsely. Petitioner's theory of the case is that he was robbed and beaten by Kelly Dillon, and, in an effort to protect her brother, Tracy Dillon fabricated the charge of rape. Considerable weight is added to this defense when Tracy Dillon's inconsistent statements to police about the identity of the men who attacked petitioner are coupled with the proffered evidence that on the same night, in the same general area, Kelly Dillon committed another robbery and Tracy Dillon lied about her brother's identity with respect to that crime. Because the basis of petitioner's defense rests on Tracy and Kelly Dillon's credibility, the trial court erred by excluding evidence of the Pitman robbery that was clearly admissible under Maryland Rule 5-616(b)(3).