Opinion ID: 393273
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Extrinsic Evidence of a Witness' Prior Conduct

Text: 72 Sutherland and Walker each challenge the district court's exclusion of certain testimony of Nancy Forbus, a former friend and co-worker of Sally Kalastro, a key government witness. Forbus was prepared to testify that Kalastro had admitted to her that Kalastro had embezzled funds from their employer. This testimony had two conceivable purposes: (1) to demonstrate Kalastro's prejudice against Walker, who (according to the defendants) had discovered the alleged embezzlement and led their employer to fire Kalastro; and (2) to demonstrate Kalastro's character for truthfulness or untruthfulness, since Kalastro had denied the embezzlement on cross-examination. 73 The admissibility of this testimony is governed by Federal Rule of Evidence 608(b). That rule allows for extrinsic evidence of specific instances of the conduct of a witness only if the evidence is probative of the witness' character for truthfulness or untruthfulness, not to demonstrate bias or prejudice on the part of the witness. And, if the testimony is indeed relevant to the witness' veracity, it is then admissible only in the discretion of the court. 74 In this case the testimony arguably was offered for a purpose contemplated by Rule 608(b), but under the circumstances the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to admit it. The testimony was also offered at least in part for a purpose not contemplated by Rule 608(b) (i. e., to demonstrate prejudice), and was merely cumulative evidence both as to that purpose and as to its legitimate purpose (i. e., to demonstrate a character for untruthfulness). 13 Therefore the court did not err when it excluded this testimony.