Opinion ID: 2084031
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admissibility of Defendant's First Trial Testimony

Text: Lock asserts that the trial court erred in allowing her testimony from the first trial to be introduced into evidence. The testimony related to her prior contact with Milano and her request to have him beat up a third person who had accused her of stealing a state park pass. Lock asserts that such former testimony is inadmissible because it violates her Fifth Amendment privilege against testifying. We disagree. Prior recorded testimony is admissible if the trial court finds that the testimony (1) was given under oath at a former judicial proceeding, (2) that the party against whom the testimony is now offered had the opportunity and motive to cross examine the witness at the prior proceeding, and (3) that the witness is unavailable at the time of the later proceeding. Pollard v. State (1979), 270 Ind. 599, 612, 388 N.E.2d 496, 506; Bryant v. State (1979), 270 Ind. 268, 385 N.E.2d 415. Clearly, the testimony at issue here would be admissible had anyone, other than the defendant, been the provider of such testimony. The issue in this case, therefore, is whether Lock, by testifying at the first trial, waived her Fifth Amendment privilege to not testify at the second trial. By testifying at the first trial Lock did not waive her Fifth Amendment privilege against testifying and could not have been compelled to testify at the second trial. LaBine v. State (1983), Ind., 447 N.E.2d 592, 595. However, her first-trial testimony is admissible at the second trial, in the same manner as a statement or admission against interest given prior to a trial is admissible at a later trial even if the defendant chooses not to testify at such trial. In examining the evidence admitted over Fifth Amendment objections, we hold that such evidence was more properly rebuttal evidence that was received out of sequence, but the admission of such evidence did not violate Lock's constitutional protections and does not constitute error.