Opinion ID: 1383165
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Proof of Freeman's prior conviction as evidence impeaching the testimony of Dr. Stolzheise.

Text: The final alternative propounded by the state is that evidence of Freeman's 1948 conviction was relevant to impeach the testimony of Dr. Stolzheise. Since Dr. Stolzheise testified that his opinion would to some extent be modified if he learned that Freeman had previously engaged in misconduct similar to that for which he was on trial, the state argues that by showing that Freeman did, in fact, engage in such prior misconduct, it was in effect impeaching Dr. Stolzheise. This is in reality an attempt to bring in through the back door that which would not fit through the front. It is well settled that extrinsic evidence may be admitted to show specific error in the testimony of an opposing witness; however, extrinsic evidence is not permitted to contradict a witness if it relates to a collateral matter. As McCormick puts it: The classic approach is that facts which would have been independently provable regardless of the contradiction are not `collateral'. [33] Since, as we have already held, the evidence of Freeman's prior offense was admissible neither on the issue of his character, nor on the issue of his intent, such evidence must be deemed collateral, and therefore does not form a permissible basis for impeachment. Moreover, it should be noted that Dr. Stolzheise had been effectively impeached upon cross-examination by the state, and that proof of the details of Freeman's 1948 conviction could have had no additional value as impeachment evidence. In its cross-examination of Dr. Stolzheise, the state was allowed to hand him the record of Freeman's prior conviction. The jury was apprised of the fact that the record contained information concerning Freeman's conviction for the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or indecent liberties. The fact of Freeman's conviction was not questioned. Upon this basis Dr. Stolzheise stated that he would require additional consultation in order to determine the effect of the prior offense upon his assessment of Freeman's personality. We think that by this stage of the proceedings Dr. Stolzheise had been effectively impeached. Apparently the state shared this view below, since it moved to strike Dr. Stolzheise's testimony from the record. Thus, further impeachment would have been fruitless.