Opinion ID: 1677107
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The impeachment issue.

Text: A defendant's right to cross-examine a witness is a primary interest secured by the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment, State v. Durrell, 300 N.W.2d 134, 137 (Iowa 1981), made applicable to the states by the fourteenth amendment. Pointer v. Texas, 380 U.S. 400, 403, 85 S.Ct. 1065, 1068, 13 L.Ed.2d 923, 926 (1965). A party is given reasonable latitude in cross-examination, Durrell, 300 N.W.2d at 137, particularly when a defendant, charged with a grave offense, cross-examines the State's witness. State v. Carney, 236 N.W.2d 44, 46 (Iowa 1975). Trial court, however, still determines the scope of cross-examination, exercising its sound discretion. Durrell, 300 N.W.2d at 134. When witnesses testify, they place their credibility in issue. State v. O'Connell, 275 N.W.2d 197, 203 (Iowa 1979). An opposing party can question this credibility by attempting to impeach a witness through proper cross-examination. State v. Droste, 232 N.W.2d 483, 489 (Iowa 1975). Here defendant sought to impeach Hernden during cross-examination by asking her about prior assault charges she filed that allegedly were not prosecuted. Defendant's offer of proof reflected that within the two months prior to the taking of Hernden's deposition, Hernden filed an assault charge against her daughter after an apparently violent domestic dispute. The status of that charge is unclear from the record. Hernden also stated she had filed several assault charges against her ex-boyfriend, and that as a result of such a charge he is now in prison. It appears those charges may have been filed some time ago. Although ordinarily inquiry into specific instances of conduct is not allowed, Iowa Rule of Evidence 608(b) permits such inquiry in the discretion of the court if probative of the witness's truthfulness or untruthfulness. The court's ruling, of course, will be disturbed only when its discretion has been obviously abused. State v. Clark, 325 N.W.2d 381, 383 (Iowa 1982). An abuse is found only when the court exercises its discretion on grounds or for reasons clearly untenable or to an extent clearly unreasonable. Rowen v. LeMars Mutual Insurance Co., 357 N.W.2d 579, 583 (Iowa 1984). Defendant relies on State v. Chambers, 370 N.W.2d 600 (Iowa Ct.App.1985), an Iowa Court of Appeals decision filed after the trial in this case. In Chambers the defendant and Diane Jones were tried separately for second-degree robbery. Defendant contended there was no robbery; he merely attempted to stop a fight between Jones and the victim, another woman. During cross-examination of the victim, defendant attempted to impeach her with questions about several theft or robbery charges the victim filed in the year before trial. Id. at 601-02. The court of appeals reversed defendant's conviction in Chambers, holding trial court abused its discretion in sustaining the State's objections to this cross-examination. The opinion noted the victim knew Jones, they had been in a previous fight, and one of the prior complaints had been against Jones. None of the former charges had resulted in action by the county attorney. The victim's testimony had been uncorroborated by other evidence, and the defendant asserted an alibi that controverted the underlying events. Without attempting to review the Chambers decision, we first note the facts before us distinguish it from that case. Randle's testimony corroborated the testimony of this defendant. The victim had no on-going relationship with the robbers; they hardly were acquaintances. The prior charges filed by Hernden were against persons unrelated to this case, none were robberies, and all were associated with domestic disturbances. This defendant asserted no alibi. She placed herself at the scene and confirmed there was a robbery. Moreover, the evidence here leads to the ready inference that Hernden was a target for abusive treatment. She was not only blind (at least in a legal sense), she was of minimal intelligence and received three types of assistance checks. She obviously encountered unsavory people, just as she did in this tavern. There is no indication in this record the prior charges she filed were unfounded, and consequently no inference that cross-examination about those charges would bear on her truthfulness or untruthfulness. Trial court in this case found defendant's proposed inquiry into prior charges filed by Hernden had minimal probative value and was highly prejudicial. See Raysor v. Port Authority, 768 F.2d 34, 40 (2d Cir.1985) (Raysor's litigiousness may have some slight probative value, but that value is outweighed by the substantial danger of jury bias against the chronic litigant.); Cammarata v. Payton, 316 S.W.2d 474, 477 (Mo.1958) ([T]he fact that she may have been [an] habitual litigant does not necessarily reflect on her credibility and neither may an unfavorable inference be drawn from her assertion of legal rights.); Iowa R.Evid. 403, 608(b). We have stated that our rule 608(b) follows Federal Rule of Evidence 608(b). Clark, 325 N.W.2d at 383. Thus, the note accompanying the federal rule is instructive. Effective cross-examination demands that some allowance be made for going into matters of this kind, but the possibilities of abuse are substantial. Consequently, safeguards are erected in the form of specific requirements that the instances inquired into be probative of truthfulness or its opposite.... Also, the overriding protection of Rule 403 requires that probative value not be outweighed by danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of issues, or misleading the jury.... Fed.R.Evid. 608(b) advisory committee note (emphasis added). Under the facts of this case, we hold trial court did not obviously abuse its discretion. The judgment of the district court is affirmed. AFFIRMED.