Opinion ID: 2448167
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: introduction of taped interview

Text: A more difficult question is appellants' complaint that the Commonwealth was improperly permitted to introduce a tape recorded interview with C.S., one of the victims, on grounds that the prior statement was not inconsistent. The Commonwealth disputes this and maintains that the prior statement was, indeed, inconsistent and, therefore, admissible. Appellants readily admit that C.S. initially denied sexual contact with either appellant. They claim, however, that when he was confronted with the existence of the tape recorded interview, he recanted his denial and adopted its contents. As such, they claim that playing the recording for the jury constituted an inadmissible use of a prior consistent statement. From the record, it appears that after being confronted with the existence of his prior statement, C.S. continued to be hesitant and evasive in his testimony and, at times, denied the veracity of the statement. Whether the child's prior statement was inconsistent with his testimony at trial was hotly disputed and thoroughly considered by the trial court which determined it to be inconsistent. In view of the ambiguity of this child's testimony and the nuances associated with it, and in recognition that the trial court was in the best position to make the determination, we discover no error in the trial court's ruling on this issue.