Opinion ID: 2570148
Heading Depth: 6
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Ted Schwartz

Text: Ted Schwartz, defendant's art teacher in grades six through eight, gave generally positive testimony about him as a student. On cross-examination, the court sustained an objection when the prosecutor asked do you know anything at all about the kind of life he was leading behind your back? Without specifically mentioning the Gaughan report, the prosecutor established that Schwartz would not know about whatever he may have been doing outside of school, whatever bad things he may have been doing. Schwartz mentioned that defendant had told him about driving without a license. The prosecutor said, I'm talking about other kinds of things which are far more serious. Did he ever tell you anything about things he was doing outside of school? Schwartz answered, no, he did not. Again, although the court correctly sustained a defense objection, the prosecutor's reference to the bad things defendant was doing outside of school, which the jury would understand as a reference to the Gaughan report, was unduly suggestive and an improper cross-examination technique.