Opinion ID: 3016722
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Cross-examination of Linda Smollen

Text: Benjamin called Smollen, who had been his administrative assistant at Fort Monmouth in 1996, as a witness to testify that the army inventory system allowed Jerry West free reign over the computers coming into and leaving the base. During crossexamination, the government asked Smollen about past alcohol problems. The government claims that it wanted to elicit testimony that she had abused drugs and alcohol for purposes of attacking her perception and her recollection of the events about which she testified. We find this stratagem troubling, but do not find reversible error. As suggested above, the standard of review for admissibility of evidence is abuse of discretion, see United States v. Serafini, 233 F. 3d 758, 768 n.14 (3d Cir. 2000), and the inclusion of this evidence hardly rises to that level. Indeed, Smollen’s testimony had little probative value: she merely testified that she once assisted Jerry West in loading 6 computer software—hardly testimony that would have exculpated Benjamin of computer theft even had her credibility been unchallenged.