Opinion ID: 2793140
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Brian Spodach’s Potential Testimony

Text: Defense counsel also called Brian Spodach. Recall that Shane Miller testified that Spodach came by Makiel’s house and gave Miller a ride on the night of October 19, 1988. Spodach testified that he neither went to the house nor gave Miller a ride that night. In addition, defense counsel sought to introduce testimony from Spodach about Martin’s and Shane Miller’s reputations for truthfulness. The trial court excluded the evidence. According to defense counsel’s proffer, Spodach would have testified that he knew their reputations based on his contacts with other people in the community and that they had reputations for being “liars.” 10. Tim Anderson’s Potential Testimony Makiel’s counsel then sought to introduce the testimony of Tim Anderson. According to counsel’s proffer, Anderson would have testified that Makiel had nothing to do with the murder and armed robbery. Anderson was prepared to testify that on October 19, 1988, when he was nine years old, he snuck out of his parents’ home around midnight and met up with three friends: Brandon, Brian, and Jay. Jay said “let’s go get some money,” and the four boys drove Brandon’s car to the Mobil gas station. At the station, Jay took out an automatic handgun, cocked it, and went inside. Anderson heard a “loud shot.” Jay then returned to the car and said “I did it,” and the boys drove off. Later that night, Brian told Anderson that if he told anyone what had happened, Brian would shoot him. 14 Nos. 13-3076 & 13-3777 The prosecution moved in limine to bar this testimony “as not being relevant, not relating to this case and being too remote and uncertain and speculative.” The trial court conducted a sidebar and heard argument from both sides. The prosecutor presented a November 1990 written statement to police from Anderson that the incident occurred in August 1988, not October 1988 when Hoch was murdered. The prosecutor also questioned Anderson’s competency to testify, observing that Anderson was only eleven years old at the time of trial and that he had initially disclosed the story about the gas station murder to a psychiatrist when he was hospitalized for mental health issues. The trial court asked defense counsel whether the November 1990 written statement was the expected testimony from Anderson. Defense counsel clarified that Anderson, if permitted to testify, would say that the incident occurred in October 1988, not August 1988. Counsel acknowledged that Anderson’s written statement to police said that the incident occurred in August, but he argued that the inconsistency was simply a matter for cross-examination—not a reason to bar the testimony altogether. The trial court granted the State’s motion and barred Anderson from testifying: “The Court finds, on the matter of relevancy, the testimony here would be too remote, too speculative.” It also discussed Anderson’s competency and the desire to avoid trying collateral issues during the trial: “The circumstances, taking into account a competency situation, both on a mental status and the age of the witness and the remoteness of the same, reference to time of the incident, such that the court would grant the State’s motion to bar.” Although the trial court discussed Anderson’s competency Nos. 13-3076 & 13-3777 15 and whether it would inject collateral issues into the trial, it clarified: “The Court has not ruled on his competency.”