Opinion ID: 2516369
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Limitation on Defendant's Cross Examination of Witness Blades

Text: ś 70 Defendant claims prejudice stemming from the trial court's preclusion of cross-examination of state's witness Blades concerning statements about Nelson's reputation as a braggart and a boaster. The state argues that such testimony was not relevant to Nelson's reputation for truthfulness and that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by precluding the cross-examination pursuant to Rules 404(a) and 608(a), Arizona Rules of Evidence. ś 71 Blades' proffered statements concerning Nelson were unrelated to the accuracy of Nelson's testimony or his veracity as a witness. The attributes mentioned by Blades do not relate to character but were at best vague, speculative, and immaterial. Exclusion was not an abuse of discretion.