Opinion ID: 891652
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of Motion for Mistrial Made At Trial

Text: {47} Wayne, who was not charged in the crimes, refused to testify when called as a witness by the State, stating that he had no memory of the events on the day of the murders and that he felt threatened. Defendant moved for a mistrial on the grounds that the jury was prejudiced by the fear in the courtroom that prevented Wayne from testifying. The district court denied the motion for mistrial. With the jury absent, the district court ruled that Wayne was practically unavailable and permitted Wayne's testimony from the first trial to be played because the testimony he gave was voluntary, it was given under oath, he was cross-examined, it has not been recanted. After the recorded testimony was played, the district court permitted both parties to cross-examine Wayne using leading questions. {48} Defendant argues that the district court erred by failing to grant a mistrial, as finding Wayne unavailable and admitting his prior testimony deprived Defendant of his Confrontation Clause rights, and that the testimony was wrongfully admitted under the forfeiture by the wrongdoing exception to the hearsay rule. The State argues that the prior testimony was properly admitted under the former testimony exception to the hearsay rule.
{49} A denial of a motion for mistrial is reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard. State v. McDonald, 1998-NMSC-034, ¶ 26, 126 N.M. 44, 966 P.2d 752.
{50} The record is clear that the district court admitted Wayne's recorded testimony under the former testimony exception to the hearsay rule, Rule 11-804(B)(1) NMRA. To admit former testimony under this exception, the court must first determine that the witness is unavailable. One way in which a witness may be found unavailable is if she or he testifies to a lack of memory of the subject matter of the declarant's statement. Rule 11-804(A)(3). If a witness is determined to be unavailable, the former testimony exception permits the introduction of testimony taken in compliance with law in the course of the same or another proceeding, if the party against whom the testimony is now offered ... had an opportunity and similar motive to develop the testimony by direct, cross or redirect examination. Rule 11-804(B)(1). The purpose of the cross-examination requirement is to ensure that a defendant's Confrontation Clause rights are not violated. See Crawford, 541 U.S. at 53-54, 124 S.Ct. 1354. {51} In this case, the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding Wayne was unavailable to testify based on his repeated refusal to testify due to a purported lack of memory. See State v. Gonzales, 112 N.M. 544, 551, 817 P.2d 1186, 1193 (1991) (holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion by finding a witness who repeatedly stated he could not remember events and details about which he previously testified unavailable and admitting the prior testimony under Rule 11-804(B)(1)). Defendant's Confrontation Clause rights were not violated because Defendant had an opportunity to cross-examine Wayne, and the same motive to develop Wayne's testimony, during Defendant's first trial on these same charges. In addition, the court permitted Defendant to cross-examine Wayne after the tape was played, further dispelling any concerns about Defendant's Confrontation Clause rights. The district court did not abuse its discretion by admitting Wayne's former testimony under the prior testimony exception to the hearsay rule.