Opinion ID: 2823194
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Testimony of Osvaldo German

Text: Mr. German, one of the co-defendants, also testified as a witness for the state. He stated that defendant is the mother of his son, who was about two years old at the time of trial. Mr. German further testified about the events that took place on the night of defendant’s arrest—July 26, 2010. Specifically, Mr. German testified that, on that night, he was a passenger in defendant’s black Nissan Maxima; he said that they were traveling on Charles Street towards Route 146 and that, when the car reached the highway, he observed “cops behind [them] with the lights on.” It was Mr. German’s testimony that the Nissan Maxima eventually stopped on Route 146 because they were “getting pulled over.” Mr. German stated that law enforcement officers approached the Nissan Maxima “with their guns drawn telling [him and the other occupants of the car] to get out, put [their] hands up.” Mr. German further testified that the law enforcement officers “took [them] out of the car” and that he was searched—during which search “a small amount of weed” was discovered. It was Mr. German’s testimony that, after that discovery, law enforcement officers “put the cuffs” on him and then put him into a police car. Mr. German proceeded to testify concerning what took place at the Rhode Island State Police barracks, where he was taken after his arrest. He stated that, on the night of July 26, “there [were] a whole bunch of cops there [at the barracks] that [were] asking me questions;” he added, however, that he “didn’t answer them.” - 12 - Mr. German went on to testify that, on the morning of the next day, July 27, he was brought into a room and was asked “more questions.” In particular, when asked whether he recalled speaking with any police officers, Mr. German testified that he thought he remembered speaking to Trooper Alboum, whom he identified sitting at counsel table,16 as well as another police officer who had been in the courtroom earlier that day. Mr. German next stated that he did not remember what he and the officer talked about, but he added that he did remember that the officer “was typing” during their discussion. However, Mr. German added that the officer “wasn’t typing what I was saying.” Mr. German also stated that the officer “was just asking questions.” When asked what the officer’s questions “dealt with,” Mr. German responded: “[F]irst they went from a van, then they went [to] the weed.” The prosecutor’s questions then turned to the details of “the weed,” asking Mr. German: “And the five kilograms of weed, what did the [officer] ask you about it?” In response to that question, Mr. German testified that, when the officer had asked him whether the weed was his, he responded in the affirmative. However, when the prosecutor asked whether claiming the weed as his own was what Mr. German had “first told” the officer, Mr. German testified that he did not know what he first told the officer. At that point in his testimony, after stating that he was not sure what he “first told” the officer, Mr. German recounted his version of events with respect to the unsigned and signed statements. Specifically, Mr. German stated: “[W]hen I first talked to [the officer], he went and print out [sic] a paper, and when he brung the paper back, it was not what I had 16 It will be recalled that Trooper Alboum testified that he interviewed Mr. German on July 27. In addition, Mr. German stated that he thought he remembered talking to Trooper Alboum. Accordingly, it can fairly be inferred that the “police officer” with whom Mr. German recalled conversing at the barracks was Trooper Alboum. - 13 - told him. And I told him I take full responsibility for everything, that the weed was all mine; and I didn’t talk to him after that.”17 Yet when asked by the prosecutor about the second statement (the signed statement), which contained the above-referenced assertion by Mr. German that “the weed was all [his],” Mr. German testified that he did not remember what he (Mr. German) was talking about at that time. In addition, when asked by the prosecutor: “[I]s that exactly what you said, ‘The weed’s all mine’?” Mr. German responded: “I don’t remember what I said.” Mr. German’s testimony continued in that vein, with Mr. German frequently answering “I don’t remember” to questions with respect to his discussion with the officer and with respect to the unsigned and signed statements. Mr. German was then given the opportunity to review his signed statement, and he thereafter stated that he remembered “saying that the marijuana’s all [his] and [he’ll] take full responsibility for everything,” but that he “didn’t say [he’ll] take the hit for it all.” In Mr. German’s testimony, he characterized the difference between what he said and what was reflected in the signed statement as “the same issue with the other paper [the unsigned statement], why [he] didn’t sign; because [the officer] was typing, [Mr. German would] say one thing, [and the officer would] put another.” With respect to the events of the night of defendant’s arrest, Mr. German testified that it was he who put the marijuana in the car and that, as far as he knew, defendant “didn’t know anything about it.” In addition, when engaged in a colloquy with the prosecutor concerning the details of his plea agreement, Mr. German indicated that he had believed at the time that he entered into the agreement that Ms. Mendez “was out of the indictment;” he said that he “would 17 It is readily apparent from Mr. German’s testimony that his reference to “the paper” is meant to refer to the unsigned statement; Trooper Alboum testified that it was the first document that he drafted during their discussion, which document Mr. German did not sign. - 14 - have signed [the plea agreement] as long as the charges [were] dropped against her.” The following exchange between the prosecutor and Mr. German is in the same vein: “Q What was most important to you, you would have signed anything as long as the defendant, her name wasn’t brought into it? “A Yes, cause she had nothing to do with it.” In sum, Mr. German’s testimony at trial indicated that he remembered very little about the conversations that resulted in the unsigned and signed statements and that the only thing he remembered was stating that he would take “full responsibility” for the marijuana.