Opinion ID: 406418
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cross-Examination of Harris

Text: 29 Sharon Harris testified that her basement had been used by Lawson and others after the robbery and that appellant had described the robbery as an easy shot. Defense counsel sought to examine Harris concerning a 1978 conviction for prostitution and whether her relationship with Bell was one of pimp-prostitute. Harris had been living with Bell and continued to communicate with him after his imprisonment. The District Court sustained an objection to this line of inquiry on the grounds that it was not probative of Harris' truthfulness. The conviction, if offered solely to show previous dishonesty, might well be inadmissible under Rule 609(a)(2). See United States v. Walker, 613 F.2d 1349 (5th Cir. 1980); United States v. Wright, 564 F.2d 785 (8th Cir. 1977). It was offered for more than that, however. The cross-examination was designed to show not that Harris was a prostitute and, therefore, a liar, but that she was a prostitute and that Bell, as her pimp, might have caused her to lie about Lawson's involvement, because of his animus toward Lawson and because he had not been sentenced on his negotiated plea at the time of trial. 30 Foreclosing inquiry into a witness' bias is error unless the jury has other sufficient information of that possible bias. United States v. Turcotte, 515 F.2d 145, 151 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, Gerry v. U.S., 423 U.S. 1032, 96 S.Ct. 564, 46 L.Ed.2d 406 (1975); United States v. James, 609 F.2d 36 (2d Cir. 1979). Although there was testimony that Harris and Bell had lived together before his imprisonment, we regard that as considerably different from a demonstration of a pimp-prostitute relationship. A jury might well believe that the latter relationship would entail substantially greater influence by Bell over Harris than a relationship as lovers. In any event, it was entitled to know of such a relationship, if it existed. The failure to permit this cross-examination was thus error. 31