Opinion ID: 443256
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: grady's issues

Text: 318 Defendant Grady raises three additional issues in his separate briefs. A. Admissibility of Criminal Complaint 319 At trial the court allowed plaintiffs to enter into evidence the criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office against Grady on August 29, 1979. The complaint charged Grady with one count of homicide by reckless conduct and one count of perjury, in violation of Wis.Stat. Secs. 940.06 and 946.31(1)(f), respectively. 80 Those charges arose out of the same circumstances as those underlying this civil case: the 1958 shooting of Daniel Bell and Grady's false statements at the subsequent inquest. The complaint also recited statements of several individuals, including those made by Krause who related in some detail the shooting. According to the complaint Krause stated inter alia that this matter had haunted him and deeply troubled him for many years; that he felt compelled to tell the truth about what he knew; that on the night of the shooting Grady stated that he needed some more arrests that night so that he was going to check some vacant homes around 7th or 8th and Vine Street and arrest some 'niggers' ; and that after the shooting, Grady stated that he would 'get some time' out of this and get fired so they would have to make up some excuse. Grady stated that it was just a 'God damn nigger kid' anyway (Exh. 6). 320 Defendant Grady alleges that it was improper for the district court to allow plaintiffs to admit the state's criminal complaint on the grounds that the complaint is hearsay, was admitted to inflame and prejudice the jury, and is irrelevant. 81 Plaintiffs contend that the complaint was relevant and that Grady had the opportunity to contradict the statements in the complaint at this civil trial. We first address the hearsay issue, then the relevancy and prejudice issues. 321 The bulk of the three and one-half page criminal complaint states facts which form the basis of Grady's convictions for homicide by reckless conduct and perjury. Krause in the complaint recounts the stopping of Daniel Bell's automobile, the chase, the shooting, and Grady's false account of the incident to Milwaukee police officials and to District Attorney McCauley at the inquest. The complaint also contains the conclusions of Medical Examiner Van Hecke and others verifying the identification of Daniel Bell and stating that the cause of death was the bullet fired by Grady. No hearsay objection can be raised as to this evidence because Grady admitted in the district court proceedings that he shot and killed Bell, planted the knife, lied to his superiors, and perjured himself at the coroner's inquest. Essentially the only aspect of the prior convictions that Grady did not admit to at trial is the recklessness element of the homicide conviction, Grady maintaining that the shooting was purely accidental. This difference, however, is immaterial since (1) none of the statements incorporated in the complaint address the recklessness issue; 82 the complaint merely mentions that Wis.Stat. Sec. 940.06 prohibits homicide by reckless conduct; and (2) Grady pleaded guilty to the homicide by reckless conduct count, see Waldron v. Hardwick, 406 F.2d 86, 90 (7th Cir.1969) (guilty plea admissible as admission). 322 The substance of the remaining portions of the criminal complaint, particularly the racist statements that Krause claimed Grady made the night of the shooting, were not admitted, but rather were denied by Grady at trial. Although Grady pleaded guilty to the charges of homicide by reckless conduct and perjury as specified in the criminal complaint, Grady's attorney did not stipulate that all the allegations in the complaint were truthful. Nonetheless, Grady's alleged racist comments were used against him in the trial below, and therefore constitute admissions of a party, non-hearsay under Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(A). 323 The racist comments Grady allegedly made to Krause the night of the killing are non-hearsay on the alternative ground that they were not offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted (Fed.R.Evid. 801(c)) by Grady. See Crawford v. Garnier, 719 F.2d 1317, 1323 (7th Cir.1983); United States v. McDonnel, 550 F.2d 1010 (5th Cir.1977), certiorari denied, 434 U.S. 835, 98 S.Ct. 123, 54 L.Ed.2d 96. For example, the comments were not offered to prove that Grady truthfully did intend to check some vacant homes around 7th or 8th and Vine Street and arrest some 'niggers,'  but rather to show that he used derogatory language in referring to blacks. 324 This Court must also consider the second level of possible hearsay with respect to Grady's racist comments, viz., Krause's recitation of Grady's comments alleged in the criminal complaint. The record indicates that when the statements were read aloud to Krause while on the witness stand, Krause verified that he did make the statements to Investigator Rogers in 1978 and that Grady did make the underlying comments (Tr. 1232, 1281). Krause's prior statements therefore became part of his oath-supported, court-given testimony subject to cross-examination and are not hearsay. See Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(1), Notes Of Advisory Committee On Proposed Rules (If the witness admits on the stand that he made the statement and that it was true, he adopts the statement and there is no hearsay problem.). United States v. Klein, 488 F.2d 481, 483 (2d Cir.1973); Slade v. United States, 267 F.2d 834, 838-839 (5th Cir.1959). Krause undeniably affirmed and adopted his prior statements, even though at an earlier point in his testimony he claimed that he could not recall the substance of his conversation with Grady just prior to the shooting (Tr. 1221). 83 325 Although this Court holds that Krause's adoption of his statements embodied in the 1978 criminal complaint defeats Grady's hearsay argument, we must emphasize that because prior statements are not subjected to demeanor observation and often are not made under oath and cross-examination conditions, the prior statements of witnesses present at trial are generally admissible only under specific circumstances. See Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(1). 84 And even where the witness adopts the prior statement, the wholesale admission of such prior statements (especially statements found in a formal police document such as a criminal complaint) might allow parties to create an unwarranted aura of officiality and credibility surrounding the witness' testimony. 85 See United States v. Bennett, 409 F.2d 888, 894-895 (2d Cir.1969), certiorari denied, 396 U.S. 852, 90 S.Ct. 113, 24 L.Ed.2d 101, rehearing denied, 396 U.S. 949, 90 S.Ct. 376, 24 L.Ed.2d 256. In the instant case we perceive no attempt on the part of plaintiffs to create such an unwarranted aura; consequently the district court acted within its discretion in admitting the criminal complaint in its entirety over defendants' hearsay objection. 326 Turning now to the relevancy and prejudice issues, there is no prejudice here sufficient to outweigh the racist statements' relevance under a Fed.R.Evid. 403 analysis. Grady's alleged comments on the night of the shooting are highly probative of racial animus, an element of a racially-motivated conspiracy under the civil rights laws. In regard to the bulk of the complaint, which outlines the facts upon which the prior convictions are based, Grady points out that in the trial below he never denied that he killed Daniel Bell, falsified reports or lied at the inquest. According to Grady, most of the complaint therefore was an unnecessary presentation of evidence. 327 It was not absolutely necessary to the plaintiffs' case to admit the bulk of the complaint: other sources of testimony, including Grady's own admissions and Krause's and Vorpagel's oral testimony would have sufficed. To some extent admitting the criminal complaint amounted to the needless presentation of cumulative evidence pursuant to Fed.R.Evid. 403, and upon such a finding evidence may be excluded. However, the power to exclude such unnecessary evidence is properly vested with the trial court: were this Court to deem the admission of the complaint to be reversible error because it created a minor, unnecessary delay at trial would lead to the absurd result of generating even greater delays in the judicial process. What little time was wasted amounts to harmless error at most, for the other grounds for Rule 403 exclusion--confusion of the issues, misleading the jury, etc.--are not applicable. 328 Finally, we agree with Grady's contention that Krause's statement in the complaint expressing remorse over delaying exposing the alleged true circumstances of the killing and the cover-up is irrelevant to the causes of action herein, but this minute comment by itself is not so highly prejudicial to cause reversal in view of the substantial evidence against defendants. B. Examination of Kasza 329 Grady also objects to plaintiffs' examination of retired Milwaukee policeman Henry Kasza. Kasza, a sergeant at the time of the shooting, interviewed Grady that night and prepared a report that mentions that Bell was shot as he was about to jump a snow bank, i.e., the shooting-at-a-distance explanation which was soon abandoned for an account of shooting in close proximity to Bell. This report was entered into evidence, along with a report by Investigator Rogers based on a March 1979 interview with Kasza. The objected-to examination is based on a statement by Kasza in the 1979 interview which was read to the jury: 330 Kasza said that he did not know Grady well enough to comment on his feelings toward blacks, but said he (Kasza) thinks they're apes (Exh. 149). 331 Grady claims that reading the portion of the 1979 interview to the jury and questioning Kasza on his recollection of the statement and his racial attitudes in 1958 were prejudicial as calculated to inflame the jury. Grady also contends that the statement is irrelevant on the rationale that whatever Kasza's racial biases in 1979, they do not determine Kasza's attitudes in 1958 and, more fundamentally, Kasza's biases do not shed light on Grady's alleged racial motivation in connection with the shooting. 332 Regarding the relevancy question, it cannot be said that Kasza's racial bias gratuitously manifested in the 1979 interview is not probative of Kasza's attitudes in 1958, particularly in light of Kasza's telling silence and contradictory responses in examination at trial: 333 Q. Did you have any discussion with Mr. Rogers on March 20, 1979 respecting the race of Daniel Bell? 334 A. I don't remember. 335 Q. Did you have any conversation with Mr. Rogers on March 20, 1979 respecting Mr. Grady's feelings towards blacks? 336 A. I don't remember. 337 Q. Did you have any conversation with Mr. Rogers on March 20, 1979 respecting your own feelings towards blacks? 338 A. I don't remember. 339 Q. If you don't remember that, sir, how do you know that you did not tell him that blacks are apes? 340 A. That's something that would stand out in any normal human being. 341 Q. Are you now saying you do remember that you had such a conversation with Mr. Rogers? 342 A. I am saying I did not make the statement. 343 Q. How do you know that, sir, if you don't remember whether you had such a conversation? 344 MR. KONRAD: Objection, he's arguing with the witness. 345 THE COURT: Sustained. 346 Q. Was it your opinion in February of 1958, Mr. Kasza, that blacks were apes? 347 A. I don't remember (Tr. at 2993-2994). 348 Moreover, racial bias in 1958 is not the only concern: the Section 1985 claim is based upon the allegedly racially-motivated conspiracy which extended through 1978. Therefore there is no compelling reason to establish Kasza's racial bias solely in 1958. 349 The more difficult relevancy question is whether Kasza's purported racial bias even in 1979 is relevant to the racial animus alleged in the Section 1985 claim. Grady contends that plaintiffs sought to establish racial animus on the part of Grady by examining Kasza, and that Kasza's attitudes are not probative of Grady's. If this was in fact the effect of plaintiffs' examination of Kasza, such testimony would not be highly probative. Kasza knew Grady and was a fellow officer at the time of the shooting and some time thereafter, but the record discloses no real relationship between the two officers. 350 But plaintiffs' counsel in his examination of Kasza did not even attempt such an inference. Indeed, Kasza's statement in the Rogers report, which was read to the jury, made clear that Kasza    did not know Grady well enough to comment on his feelings toward blacks   . It was not incumbent upon plaintiffs' counsel to attempt to establish a direct link between the conduct of Kasza and Grady since it is not Grady's alleged racial animus alone that is of relevance in this case. The Milwaukee Police Department is accused of covering up the true facts surrounding the shooting on the motivation, at least in part, of racial discrimination. Several police department employees in addition to Grady were alleged to be co-conspirators in the cover-up. We cannot accept the proposition that the racial animus of an individual who in the course of his employment is involved with the investigation of an unconstitutional killing and conspiracy to conceal the truth, and who may or may not have knowledge of the racial motivations behind the conspiracy, is irrelevant merely because the individual was not named as a co-conspirator. Moreover, the district court possesses broad discretionary powers in ruling on questions of evidentiary relevance and prejudice, e.g., United States v. Sweeney, 688 F.2d 1131, 1144 (7th Cir.1982), and we perceive no abuse of discretion in ruling the Kasza testimony to be relevant. 351 Regarding the question of prejudice to Grady, the trial court also acted within its broad discretion on evidentiary matters in allowing Kasza to be examined regarding the crucial passage of Rogers' report. Fed.R.Evid. 403 operates to exclude, inter alia, evidence whose probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Yet unfair is the key aspect of this provision, for the admission of evidence is generally calculated to benefit one side to the prejudice of the other. Unfairness may arise where certain evidence, if admitted, would inflame the jury and hence be given greater weight than it deserves. Identifying these situations is obviously a difficult and uncertain task. Difficult as it may be to draw the line, the probative value of Rogers' report and Kasza's testimony is not substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice to Grady. Plaintiffs' counsel never attempted to infer any relationship between Kasza and Grady, other than Kasza's well-documented role as an investigating officer. Without such an inferred relationship, it is pure speculation to assume the jury gave Kasza's testimony undue weight vis-a-vis Grady. 352 C. The Jury's Lack of Knowledge of the Duration of Grady's Prison Sentence 353 Grady argues that the punitive damages assessed against him for the killing and conspiracy--a total of $50,000--were excessive in that the jury was not made aware of the duration of Grady's seven-year prison sentence. 86 According to Grady the district court's failure to inform the jury resulted in double punishment which, analogous to the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment, is improper. There is little merit in Grady's contentions for the following reasons: 354 First, Grady has not shown, in light of his egregious conduct in killing Daniel Bell and lying about the facts, that $50,000 in punitive damages is excessive irrespective of his sentence for the perjury and reckless homicide crimes. Second, Grady's counsel actually told the jury in opening argument that his client was serving a seven-year sentence (Tr. 1178-1179). Finally, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in excluding discussion of sentence duration. The jury was aware of Grady's conviction and incarceration. Plaintiffs argued that if the duration of Grady's sentence were put into evidence, they would then be entitled to prove that Grady's sentence was actually a bargained plea down from first-degree murder to homicide by reckless conduct. The trial court concluded that Grady's counsel could raise the fact of incarceration, but without opening up the terms of the sentence or the question of plea-bargaining. It was well within the court's discretion under Fed.R.Evid. 403 to make such a ruling. 355