Opinion ID: 1206395
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: trial court's refusal to allow testimony relating to alleged bias of gaylord komoto

Text: We must next consider whether the trial court erred in refusing to allow defense witness David Kupele to testify regarding his attempt to interview Gaylord Komoto. Appellant's offer of proof indicated that Kupele, an investigator for the Public Defender's Office, would have testified that he attempted to interview Komoto at the Waikiki Gateway Hotel and that Komoto refused to talk to Kupele about this case. Appellant contends that Komoto's refusal to discuss the case with Kupele tended to show bias on the part of Komoto in favor of the prosecution. The general rule is that a witness may be impeached through a showing of bias, hostility or prejudice, and this may be done by use of the witness's own testimony or by other evidence. Territory v. Yadao, 35 Haw. 198, 202 (1939). Appellant argues that under Territory v. Yadao , the trial court was required to admit Kupele's testimony relating to Komoto's alleged bias. The State maintains that the trial court did not err because the defense failed to lay a proper foundation for the introduction of the evidence of alleged bias. We agree with the State's position. Although Yadao seems on first reading to have implicitly given approval to the introduction of evidence of bias absent the laying of any foundation, there is no indication that the foundational issue was actually considered by the Court in that case. We find that Yadao is not, therefore, determinative of the question. We believe that the correct rule is stated in State v. Shaw, 93 Ariz. 40, 378 P.2d 487 (1963) (en banc), which followed the majority position that before any bias of a witness can be introduced, a foundation must first be laid by cross-examining the witness regarding the facts which assertedly prove the bias. [14] Two reasons were recognized by the court in Shaw for such a preliminary foundation. First, the foundational cross-examination gives the witness a fair opportunity to explain statements or equivocal facts which, standing alone, tend to show bias. Second, such cross-examination lends expediency to trials, for if the facts showing bias are admitted by the witness, the introduction of extrinsic evidence becomes unnecessary. The Shaw case also added a degree of flexibility to the foundational rule by providing that if a trial court finds itself satisfied that fairness will be maintained, it has discretion to dispense with the foundational cross-examination requirement when exceptional circumstances would make it unduly burdensome to require it... . 93 Ariz. at 44, 378 P.2d at 489. [15] We are fully satisfied with the soundness of the rule set out in Shaw. Therefore, we hold that the trial court did not err in refusing to admit the testimony of David Kupele regarding the alleged bias of Gaylord Komoto. The transcript reveals that Komoto was never cross-examined about his refusal to talk to Kupele about the case. Furthermore, we are aware of no exceptional circumstances which would have made it unduly burdensome to require the preliminary cross-examination of Komoto.