Opinion ID: 2611383
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Due Process Violation: Admission of Evidence of Defense Counsel's Interview with Christina George

Text: During trial, the prosecution learned that Christina George had spoken with Rienhardt's lawyer not long after George and Rienhardt were arrested, and that the conversation was not recorded. George apparently told Rienhardt's lawyer that Rienhardt had killed Michael Ellis, but that she would be willing to change her story to help him. George made subsequent statements to police implicating Rienhardt's co-defendant, Charles Nadeau, as the only responsible party. After she pled guilty, however, George pointed the finger back to Rienhardt. This inconsistency was not lost on the defense, and her contradictory statements were used during cross-examination. Rienhardt created a strong inference that George had fabricated her story in exchange for leniency. Before any examination of Christina George, the prosecutor stated her intent to use the unrecorded conversation as evidence of a prior consistent statement in the face of the defense's charge of recent fabrication. The prosecutor further pointed out that Rienhardt's lawyer had rendered himself a witness by not recording this conversation. The prosecutor moved for mistrial, which the court denied. Instead, the court's solution was to allow the prosecutor to elicit testimony about the conversation on redirect if Rienhardt's lawyer opened the door to such testimony by implying recent fabrication. Rienhardt's lawyer did not object, but instead cross-examined George in a way that he apparently believed would not open the door. However, Rienhardt's cross-examination did open the door, and the prosecutor was permitted to elicit testimony about the unrecorded meeting on redirect examination. On re-cross, which the trial court allowed, Rienhardt did not examine George on the prior statement. Rienhardt first argues that the trial court's resolution of this situation denied him his constitutional right to confront George, his due process rights, and his right to counsel. Specifically, Rienhardt argues that he was entitled to inquire into the fact that Christina George changed her account of events in these free talks and in her presentence interview with the probation officer. He also had a right to point out that, on occasion, Christina embellished her story when it suited her interests. Appellant's Opening Br. at 24. Rienhardt ignores the fact that all of these inconsistencies were, unlike State v. Briley, 106 Ariz. 397, 476 P.2d 852 (1970), brought to light during the defense's cross-examination of George, and were indeed the very reason that the prosecution was permitted to introduce a prior consistent statement on redirect. There is no right to, nor should a court permit, the use of recross-examination to repeat or reemphasize matters already covered on cross-examination. State v. Smith, 138 Ariz. 79, 81, 673 P.2d 17, 19 (1983); State v. Loftis, 89 Ariz. 403, 405-06, 363 P.2d 585, 587 (1961). Moreover, it seems clear that counsel's decision not to cross-examine George and force a mistrial was a strategic one. Rienhardt's counsel could have moved for a mistrial at any time, but chose instead to impeach George with many prior inconsistent statements, which opened the door to use of prior consistent statements. Rienhardt was not denied his right to confront George. Rienhardt next argues that George's testimony should have been excluded under Rule 403, Ariz. R. Evid., because it cast aspersions against defense counsel. We do not see the factual predicate for this argument, but even if evidence is inflammatory, it is admissible if there is a legitimate, rehabilitative purpose that outweighs the prejudicial effect. State v. Ortiz, 131 Ariz. 195, 204, 639 P.2d 1020, 1029 (1981). Thus even if we were to accept Rienhardt's assessment of the testimony's prejudicial effect, the testimony's legitimate, rehabilitative purpose outweighed this effect. Finally, Rienhardt argues that the testimony was not relevant to rebut a charge of recent fabrication under Rules 402 and 608, Ariz. R. Evid. The Rule 402 argument appears to be that the testimony is not relevant because it did not make Christina George's testimony more likely true. However, a prior consistent statement properly admitted under Rule 801(d)(1)(B), Ariz. R. Evid., is, by definition, relevant under Rule 401. Similarly, Rule 608 was not violated, because, among other reasons, George's prior consistent statement was probative of her truthfulness. The testimony was properly admitted.