Opinion ID: 1531299
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the admission of conversations with the police officers by monseigneur monteleone

Text: It will be recalled the Monseigneur did not testify in person at the trial but his deposition, taken some time before, was offered in evidence. His testimony supported the defendant's version in almost all respects. On rebuttal, the prosecution called several police officers to testify as to their conversations with the Monseigneur following the shooting, in which the Monseigneur had apparently made statements contradictory to those which he gave in his deposition. The defendant urges, these statements not having been given in the presence of the accused, were hearsay and were not admissible as part of the res gestae. There is little merit in the defendant's view. Irrespective of the res gestae rule, the statements were offered by the prosecution and were admissible as prior inconsistent statements of the witness, a proper foundation having been laid therefor on cross-examination, e.g., Chiesa v. Public Service Co-ordinated Trans., 128 N.J.L. 69 ( E. & A. 1942).