Opinion ID: 265412
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Rulings with Respect to Rinaldo's Prior Statements and to Grand Jury Testimony

Text: 27 In addition to the reasons in Part II of this opinion, we would be required to reverse, at least as to certain appellants, because of rulings on two issues relating to Rinaldo's testimony. 28 Rinaldo had been taken into custody by the Westchester County police in 1960 and had made long statements, in question and answer form, in the presence of Federal narcotics agents, the transcript of which was made available to defense counsel. 10 During his cross-examination, in a number of instances where counsel considered the earlier statements more favorable, Rinaldo affirmed that in his prior answers, as well as in those at the trial, he was telling the truth. 29 When a witness thus affirms the truth of a prior statement, the earlier statement is to be considered not only as bearing on the credibility of the witness but as affirmative evidence. Stewart v. Baltimore & Ohio R.R., 137 F.2d 527, 529 (2 Cir. 1943); the trier of the facts has two conflicting statements    of equal force as evidence, Zimberg v. United States, 142 F.2d 132, 136 (1 Cir.), cert. denied, 323 U.S. 712, 65 S.Ct. 38, 89 L.Ed. 573 (1944). See also Harman v. United States, 199 F.2d 34, 36 (4 Cir. 1952); Finnegan v. United States, 204 F.2d 105, 115 (8 Cir.), cert. denied, 346 U.S. 821, 74 S.Ct. 36, 98 L. Ed. 347 (1953). 11 In the discussions of requests to charge, the judge indicated that, consistently with these authorities, he would allow the jury to consider Rinaldo's prior statements as being affirmative evidence and not merely as impeaching credibility. But we do not read the instruction given as carrying this out. Defense counsel, who did not regard it as having done so, took proper exception, but the judge declined to alter it. There is, indeed, a question whether this error alone would require reversal. The prior statements, relating to Rosario's continued participation after incarceration and to the definitiveness of Locascio's retirement in 1956, could well be viewed merely as quick characterizations and hence as not truly inconsistent with the trial testimony. Still a jury would not necessarily consider them in that light, and with the Government's case so dependent on Rinaldo's testimony, we could hardly be certain that the error might not have affected the two defendants primarily concerned. 30 Taking full advantage of the ruling, in Costello v. United States, 350 U.S. 359, 76 S.Ct. 406, 100 L.Ed. 397 (1956), that an indictment may be based on hearsay, the Government did not bring Rinaldo before the grand jury but instead had Selvaggi, a federal narcotics agent, tell the story Rinaldo had told him. Called as a defense witness on some minor matters, Selvaggi admitted that a certain portion of Rinaldo's trial testimony was inconsistent with his narration of it to the grand jury. Defense counsel then joined in a motion that the court inspect the grand jury minutes to determine these inconsistencies and make the relevant minutes available. The judge declined to do this except for inconsistencies between Selvaggi's own grand jury and trial testimony. 31 If Rinaldo had testified before the grand jury, the defendants would have been entitled to have the judge inspect the minutes and turn over any parts useful for cross-examination. United States v. Zborowski, 271 F.2d 661, 665-668 (2 Cir. 1959); United States v. Hernandez, 282 F.2d 71 (2 Cir. 1960), on rehearing, 290 F.2d 86 (1961). The Government ought not be allowed, by having its principal witness speak to the grand jury through the voice of another, to deprive a defendant of this right to impeach by contradiction. It is true that inconsistencies found in the grand jury testimony of such a surrogate are less susceptible of effective use than if the witness himself had testified; when the witness is confronted with what appears to be an inconsistency, he may deny having made the contradictory statement to the agent and counsel's only recourse would be to call the agent and endeavor to have him prove the contrary. But this is not a sufficient reason for the court's refusing to open this avenue of impeachment; whether it is worth pursuing will then be for counsel to decide. We have reviewed Selvaggi's grand jury testimony and have found some differences between what he said Rinaldo had said and what Rinaldo said at the trial; although these are hardly nation-shaking, we cannot say that none would be susceptible of effective use. 12