Opinion ID: 1101349
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the trial court committed reversible error in overruling defense counsel's objections to the district attorney leading witness sudberry by reading portions of sudberry's statement and asking if they were true?

Text: ¶ 24. Clemons next contends that when Sudberry was on the stand the trial court improperly overruled his objection to a leading question asked by the prosecutor during re-direct. He maintains that through leading questions the prosecutor elicited testimony regarding the statement Sudberry gave the police concerning his account of what happened during the murders. Clemons argues that these questions bolstered Sudberry's direct testimony. He maintains that his conviction should be reversed on this basis. ¶ 25. This Court stated the rule to be applied when reviewing a trial court's decisions regarding leading questions in Whitlock v. State, 419 So.2d 200, 203 (Miss. 1982): A leading question is one that suggests to the witness the specific answer desired by the examining attorney. Trial courts are given great discretion in permitting the use of such questions, and unless there has been a manifest abuse of discretion resulting in injury to the complaining party, we will not reverse the decision. This is because the harm caused is usually inconsiderable and speculative, and only the trial court was able to observe the demeanor of the witness to determine the harm. Whitlock, 419 So.2d at 203. (citations omitted). See also Ballenger v. State, 667 So.2d 1242, 1258 (Miss.1995); Palmer v. State, 427 So.2d 111, 115 (Miss.1983); Thomas v. State, 217 So.2d 287, 288 (Miss. 1968); Summerville v. State, 207 Miss. 54, 64-65, 41 So.2d 377, 379 (1949). When the defense attorney questioned Sudberry concerning his specific statements given to the police, he implied that Sudberry's story testified to in direct was not the same as given to the police. Considering the examination of Sudberry in its entirety, the leading questions were used only to corroborate Sudberry's direct testimony, to develop his testimony as to the entire statement given to the police and to rebut the implication that his direct testimony was untruthful. ¶ 26. If these were leading questions, the trial judge did not manifestly abuse his discretion since any harm was inconsiderable and speculative. Whitlock, 419 So.2d at 203. In light of the questions presented in cross-examination, these leading questions which were asked to give the full account of the statement given to the police were by no means excessive. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing the State to use leading questions. This assignment is without merit.