Opinion ID: 2075944
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Abuse of discretion or error of law.

Text: The government contends, and the majority holds, that the proper question for our review is whether the trial judge abused her discretion. It is not apparent to me that the judge was initially exercising discretion, or that she viewed herself as doing so. See Johnson v. United States, 398 A.2d 354, 363 (D.C.1979). Rather, she held that the proposed cross-examination was precluded by Sherer and McLean. Assuming, arguendo, that the judge was exercising discretion, see maj. op. at 324 n. 22, she did not purport to apply the test which I believe to be the correct one, nor did she consider precedents, other than Sherer, which pointed to a result different from the one she reached. A trial court abuses its discretion when it rests its conclusions on incorrect legal standards. Jett v. Sunderman, 840 F.2d 1487, 1496 (9th Cir.1988). [27] Exercise of judicial discretion must be founded upon correct legal principles. See Conrad v. Medina, 47 A.2d 562, 565 (D.C.1946). My view that the judge failed to apply the correct test i.e., whether the defendant had a bona fide and reasonable belief that W.D.'s prior allegations were falsecompels me to conclude that she reached the wrong result; if you ask the wrong question, you are apt to receive the wrong answer. Accordingly, I would hold that the judge's refusal to allow cross-examination of W.D. with regard to her prior complaints constituted error of law. [28] Moreover, given the evidence from Minnesota, and especially the unfavorable professional and other assessments of W.D.'s veracityassessments to which the trial judge apparently gave no considerationI would conclude as a matter of law that any prejudice to the government or to W.D. from requiring her to respond to questions as to her past allegations against other men, without more, would not have substantially outweighed the probative value of the inquiry. See Bohannon, supra, 376 Mass. at 93-94, 378 N.E.2d at 990; Mintz, supra, 75 U.S.App.D.C. at 390, 127 F.2d at 745 (such evidence worth more than it costs).