Opinion ID: 320436
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the unavailability standard

Text: 50 In my view the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by analogy provide a standard which should be applicable to the instant case. Rule 15(e) sets forth the circumstances under which a deposition may be used in a criminal trial. Under this Rule such depositions presently may only be taken at the instance of a defendant (Fed.R.Crim.P. 15(a)), 1 but may be introduced at trial by any party. Fed.R.Crim.P. 15(a), (e). The majority refused to recognize this latter point. Use of depositions and prior testimony both depend upon the 'unavailability' of the witness. As Professor Wigmore states: 51 There is on principle no distinction between a deposition and former testimony as to the conditions upon which either may be used at the trial. 2 52 V Wigmore, Evidence 1401 at 146 (3d ed. 1940). This is another point of law that the majority completely refuses to recognize. Thus, the standard that governs the use of depositions in criminal cases is persuasive authority on the use of prior testimony. The present Federal Rule provides, inter alia: 53 At the trial or upon any hearing, a part or all of a deposition, so far as otherwise admissible under the rules of evidence, may be used if it appears: That the witness is dead; or that the witness is out of the United States, unless it appears that the absence of the witness was procured by the party offering the deposition; or that the witness is unable to attend or testify because of sickness or infirmity; or that the party offering the deposition has been unable to procure the attendance of the witness by subpoena. 54 Fed.R.Crim.P. 15(e). Under this Rule any party including the Government, may offer a Rule 15(a) deposition in a criminal trial if it 'has been unable to procure the attendance of the witness by subpoena.' The satisfaction of this condition, as well as substantial additional effort by the Government, was proved in this case. As Wigmore concludes, there is no justification, either in law or common sense, for requiring application of a stricter standard to prior testimony than to a deposition, and certainly no more should be required than was proven here. The proffer by the Government of prior testimony taken under oath before a magistrate, with the defendant present, with an unrestricted opportunity for his counsel to cross-examine the witness 3 and with full exercise of that right, adequately satisfies the requirement for the admission of prior testimony where the witness is unavailable. 55 It should also be noted that the witness would be 'unavailable,' and the testimony here questioned would be admissible under the Proposed Federal Rules of Evidence, presently pending approval in the Congress, H.R.5463, 93rd Cong., 1st Sess. (House Committee Print, Nov. 15, 1973). In the presently pending bill, Rule 804(a) defines unavailability-- 'Unavailability as a witness' includes situations in which the declarant '(5) is absent from the hearing and the proponent of his statement has been unable to procure his attendance . . . by process or other reasonable means.' The efforts of the Government here clearly meet this standard. The proposed Rule would further provide: 56 (b) Hearsay exceptions.-- The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule if the declarant is unavilable as a witness: 57 (1) Former testimony.-- Testimony given as a witness at another hearing of the same or a different proceeding, or in a deposition 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. 58 Rule 804(b), Proposed Federal Rules of Evidence, supra. Here the appellant had such opportunity and did actually cross-examine the witness on all the points he here points out as being material.