Opinion ID: 2161601
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Erroneous Admission of Hearsay Evidence Resulting in Prejudice

Text: During the State's case-in-chief, one James Savage, the prosecutor in the federal drug trial against Grandison, was permitted to testify that Scott Piechowicz had provided the federal authorities certain evidence against Grandison. The tenor of this evidence was to show that despite the fact that Piechowicz could not make a positive identification of Grandison, he could help establish that Grandison had occupied a room at the Warren Motel at a time critical to the federal prosecution. Piechowicz had related to Savage that he had seen a ticket on an individual's belt indicating that the individual had been to the Sugar Ray Leonard benefit. Apparently, this ticket was found in the room occupied by Grandison. We find no error in the trial court's refusal to preclude Savage, testifying as a State witness, from relating this evidence. Grandison complained at the instant trial that his right of confrontation was violated and the evidence was hearsay. This argument is meritless. Hearsay was not involved as these extrajudicial statements were not being offered for their truth. Lunsford v. Bd. of Education of Prince George's County, 280 Md. 665, 374 A.2d 1162 (1977); McCall's Ferry Co. v. Price, 108 Md. 96, 69 A. 832 (1908); Sun Cab Co. v. Walston, 15 Md. App. 113, 289 A.2d 804 (1972), aff'd on other grounds, 267 Md. 559, 298 A.2d 391 (1973). Through Savage, the State sought to establish a motive for the murder of Scott Piechowicz. Thus, the veracity of Piechowicz's statements to Savage was of no import. The mere fact that they were made supplied a motive for the Piechowicz killing. At the instant trial, Savage was under oath and available for cross-examination as to whether Piechowicz actually made the statements. Hence, his testimony was admissible. A second ground for complaint arose when the State, in cross-examining Detective Duckworth, elicited certain alleged hearsay not within any of the recognized exceptions to the rule. Duckworth, an investigating officer in the murder case, had been called by the defense to show that Scott Piechowicz had been summoned to testify in an unrelated case. Through this testimony the defense hoped to show that someone else besides Grandison had a motive to murder Scott Piechowicz. Grandison elicited this testimony from Duckworth on direct examination without objection by the State. On cross-examination the State sought to establish the nature of the dispute precipitating the second summons. Without objection, Detective Duckworth testified that his investigation of the summons had revealed that Piechowicz and one Eric Allen had disagreed over the amount of money Allen owed for a room at the Warren House. This line of questioning proceeded until Duckworth was asked if he had interviewed Mr. Allen. At this point, Grandison objected stating, All this is hearsay. This objection was properly overruled because quite simply the question to which the hearsay objection was directed was not one involving hearsay. Duckworth knew of his own knowledge whether he had interviewed Mr. Allen. Thus, the question was clearly proper. Further, this line of inquiry had been initiated by Grandison, and the State was certainly privileged to develop the issue on cross-examination. See Culler v. Standard Oil Co., 127 Md. 405, 96 A. 558 (1916); see also Walters v. State, 156 Md. 240, 144 A. 252 (1929); Koogle v. Cline, 110 Md. 587, 73 A. 672 (1909). The final testimonial complaint occurred when appellant recalled James Savage to testify that a person named Anthony Garrison had registered for the hotel room at issue in the federal trial and that Garrison and Grandison were different people. On cross-examination the State pursued this line of questioning over objection and elicited certain testimony which Grandison now contends was sufficiently prejudicial to warrant reversal of his conviction. Specifically, the State established that although Anthony Garrison registered for the room, it was Anthony Grandison who occupied it. Further, the federal prosecutor testified over objection that Grandison requested Garrison register for the room and paid him for doing so. He also explained that a showing that Grandison was connected with a particular room at the Warren House Hotel was crucial to convict Grandison on federal drug charges. The admission of this testimony does not warrant reversal. A review of the record shows that each of these facts, with the exception of the fact that Garrison received remuneration for registering for the room, was independently established through unobjected to testimony. For instance, Cheryl Piechowicz testified that she had been summoned to appear as a witness in the federal drug trial of Anthony Grandison to make an identification of Grandison as an occupant of a room at the Warren House. In addition, Savage when called as a State's witness stated that the testimony of Scott and Cheryl Piechowicz linking Grandison to a certain room in the Warren House was critical to the federal drug case. Also, in the very colloquy of which Grandison now complains, Savage was permitted to testify, Mr. Garrison requested the room; Mr. Grandison occupied the room without objection or a motion to strike by the defense. Finally, on redirect examination by Mr. Grandison, Savage testified that Grandison had a key to the hotel room in his possession when he was arrested on the federal drug charge. Thus, the only fact established over objection by the complained of testimony was that Garrison was paid by Grandison for registering for the hotel room at issue in the federal drug trial. In light of the collateral nature of this evidence, we fail to see how its admission prejudiced Grandison. Consequently, we find no reversible error.