Opinion ID: 1860859
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the trial court erred in refusing to allow stevens to question witnesses concerning strahan's exercising his right to remain silent.

Text: ¶ 69. Stevens argues that the trial court erred in prohibiting defense counsel to question Strahan regarding Strahan's exercising his right to remain silent. Stevens states in his brief to this Court that the testimony he would have sought from Strahan was that Strahan remained silent after his arrest, and that Strahan chose to testify only because he was offered a plea bargain in return for his testifying against Stevens. ¶ 70. This assignment of error is without merit. Defense counsel was permitted to elicit the precise testimony sought on cross-examination of Strahan: Q: Now, I want to ask you aboutyou were charged with the aggravated assault of Patrick Holiday. Correct? A: Yes. Q: And you entered a plea bargain with the District Attorney's office, didn't you? A: Well Q: Would you just answer the question, please? A: Yes. Q: And as part of that plea bargain, and again we're talking about the Patrick Holiday case where you were charged with aggravated assault, part of the agreement was that they would remand that case against [sic] to the files or not prosecute that case against you if you agreed to testify against Glynn Stevens. Correct? A: No. Q: Tell us, then. A: They came to me afterI wanted to tell everybody the truth about the matter, what had happened, and I offered them my statement. Q: But prior to that you had not given anybody any statement, had you? A: No. Q: And isn't it true you agreed with the District Attorney, whoever made the offerI'm not asking you that but you entered an agreement with the District Attorney's office that if you testified against Glynn that the charge against you as far as the aggravated assault on Patrick Holiday would not be prosecuted or would be dropped. Correct? A: That was the plea. (emphasis added). This assignment of error is moot.