Opinion ID: 590887
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Cross-Examination of Mayor Brower

Text: 40 Dischner contends that his confrontation clause rights were infringed because the district court limited cross-examination of Mayor Brower, one of the government's key witnesses. 12 Mayor Brower testified pursuant to a plea agreement, which provided that he would not be asked questions regarding his family and would not be asked to testify against any member of his family. On cross-examination, the defense sought to ask Brower whether the government threatened to make public pictures of his wife (allegedly in the nude, taken before and after cosmetic surgery allegedly paid for by Dischner) unless he pled guilty. The government objected on the ground that there was no evidence that any threats were made. An offer of proof was made outside the presence of the jury, and after both sides questioned Brower about the pictures, the court declined to permit inquiry about threats. 41 We do not read the district court's ruling as denying Dischner the opportunity to cross-examine Brower about the impact the government's possession of photos of his wife had on his decision to plead in the case against him. It merely restricted the defense from inquiring into threats without a factual basis. 13 The defense was not generally restrained from inquiring into the voluntariness of Brower's plea or his own fear that the government might make private pictures public. This case therefore is unlike those where all cross-examination on an important area of bias was cut off. See, e.g., Olden v. Kentucky, 488 U.S. 227, 109 S.Ct. 480, 102 L.Ed.2d 513 (1988) (per curiam) (error to prohibit all inquiry into rape victim's relationship with another man for purposes of exposing her motive to lie); Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 679, 106 S.Ct. 1431, 1435, 89 L.Ed.2d 674 (1986) (error to prohibit all inquiry into possibility that witness was biased as a result of the state's dismissal of pending public drunkenness charge); Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 320, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 1112, 39 L.Ed.2d 347 (1974) (defendant must be allowed to impeach credibility of prosecution witness by cross-examining him on potential bias deriving from witness's probationary status as a juvenile delinquent). In any event, the defense cross-examined Brower for three days, providing the jury with ample opportunity to judge Brower's possible biases and motivations. See Bright v. Shimoda, 819 F.2d 227, 229 (9th Cir.1987) (When substantial cross-examination has taken place, courts are less inclined to find confrontation clause violations.), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 970, 108 S.Ct. 1246, 99 L.Ed.2d 444 (1988). Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not improperly restrict cross-examination.