Opinion ID: 474122
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Erroneous Limitation of Cross-Examination.

Text: 47 Edward Binion, a government informant, was one of the witnesses who was able to identify appellant Pine in the courtroom. During Binion's testimony it was revealed that he had filed a lawsuit against the government resulting from a claim that he had filed seeking compensation for acting as an informant in a previous case. He was cross-examined at length by Pine regarding this claim, and Pine requested that the government furnish all documents that it had on the subject. Pine later received the documents and requested that they be admitted into evidence and that he be allowed to further cross-examine Binion regarding the claim. The court denied both requests, finding that the claim was a collateral matter and that the documents did not add anything new to the already thorough cross-examination. Pine contends that the court erred in restricting his cross-examination of Binion. 48 Pine argues that the documents contained evidence showing that a substantial part of Binion's claim was for a reward rather than for compensation. He claims that Binion denied that part of his claim was for a reward, and that the documents could have been used during further cross-examination to impeach Binion and show his bias. We note first that it is far from clear that Binion's compensation claim from a previous case showed any bias by him in this case. We are inclined to agree with the trial court that Binion's claim was an irrelevant and collateral matter. There is no right to impeach a witness with respect to collateral or irrelevant matters. United States v. Hawkins, 661 F.2d 436, 444 (5th Cir. Unit B 1981) (footnote omitted), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 991, 102 S.Ct. 2274, 73 L.Ed.2d 1287, 457 U.S. 1137, 102 S.Ct. 2967, 73 L.Ed.2d 1355, and 459 U.S. 832, 103 S.Ct. 72, 74 L.Ed.2d 71 (1982). 4 49 In addition, if a defendant has been allowed sufficient cross-examination to satisfy his sixth amendment right to confrontation, the scope of further cross-examination is in the sound discretion of the trial court. See Alford v. United States, 282 U.S. 687, 694, 51 S.Ct. 218, 220, 75 L.Ed. 624 (1931); Hawkins, 661 F.2d at 444; United States v. Alonzo, 571 F.2d 1384, 1388 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 847, 99 S.Ct. 147, 58 L.Ed.2d 149 (1978). While Binion did initially deny that part of his claim was for a reward, he did eventually admit to it during cross-examination by Pine. We feel that cross-examination was more than sufficient to satisfy Pine's right of confrontation, and since Binion admitted that part of his claim was for a reward, further cross-examination on that subject would have been cumulative and useless. Binion's potential bias was more than adequately exposed. We therefore find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's limitation of Pine's cross-examination of Binion. 50