Opinion ID: 1203336
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Did the Admission of Carrillo's Preliminary Hearing Testimony Violate the Confrontation Clause?

Text: Defendant contests the admission at trial of testimony made at a preliminary hearing by Judy Carrillo, Martin Gonzales's wife. At trial Carrillo exercised her privilege not to testify. U.S. Const. amend. V. The court found her unavailable and admitted the prior testimony. There is no question that Carrillo was unavailable to testify under SCRA 1986, 11-804(A). See McGuiness v. State, 92 N.M. 441, 443-44, 589 P.2d 1032, 1034-35 (1979). Defendant contends, however, that he did not have the opportunity and motive to cross-examine Carrillo and develop her testimony. He asserts that because the relevant issues had changed between the preliminary hearing and trial, his motivation to cross-examine Carrillo had also changed. At the hearing, Carrillo's testimony was consistent with defendant's self-defense theory; however, in her absence at trial, identification became the issue. Thus, the motive to develop her testimony had changed. The admission of the prior testimony left defendant unable to cross-examine the witness regarding her identification of him as having fired on the truck, the issue he wished to pursue at trial. In fact, no cross-examination by the defense was undertaken. The court below overruled the objection to admission of the prior testimony, deeming that any limits on cross-examination resulted from a change in trial strategy. [1] In State v. Massengill, 99 N.M. 283, 657 P.2d 139 (Ct.App. 1983), the court considered a similar argument by a criminal defendant. The Massengill court noted that one purpose of a preliminary hearing is to preserve evidence. Id. at 284, 657 P.2d at 140. [2] The question of whether preliminary hearing testimony should be admitted at trial when the witness was unavailable was not whether a defendant had the same motive to cross-examine and develop testimony at the hearing and at trial, but whether the defendant had a similar motive. Id. at 285, 657 P.2d at 141. Focusing on the defendant's decision to forego examination in certain areas, the court determined that the defendant had made a tactical choice. The motive to cross-examine the witness at the preliminary hearing was similar to the motive to cross-examine at trial because in both instances, the issues were whether a crime was committed and whether the defendant had committed the crime. Id. In other words, Massengill set forth a per se rule that absent extraordinary circumstances preliminary hearing testimony may be admitted at trial if the witness is unavailable because the motive to cross-examine is similar. See also State v. Martinez, 102 N.M. 94, 96, 691 P.2d 887, 889 (Ct.App. 1984); cf. State v. Slayton, 90 N.M. 447, 564 P.2d 1329 (Ct.App. 1977) (unavailable witness's prior testimony concerning insanity inadmissible as to defendant's guilt where defendant had no motive to cross-examine at first trial because of arrangement between counsel). As the following discussion indicates, the instant case does not require us to deviate from the rule articulated in Massengill. The issue in the instant case is presented to us as an interplay of SCRA 1986, 11-804(B)(1), and the constitutional requirement of the confrontation clause. U.S. Const. amend. VI. If a hearsay statement fits into a well-established hearsay exception, the indicia of reliability that make an out-of-court statement trustworthy can be inferred and constitutional problems avoided. Ohio v. Roberts, 448 U.S. 56, 65-66, 100 S.Ct. 2531, 2538-39, 65 L.Ed.2d 597 (1980); see Mancusi v. Stubbs, 408 U.S. 204, 213-16, 92 S.Ct. 2308, 2313-14, 33 L.Ed.2d 293 (1972). Thus, if the testimony was admitted in accordance with Rule 11-804, the constitutional requirements of the confrontation clause have been met. The United States Supreme Court, while not addressing the exact issue presented, has indicated that testimony from a preliminary hearing is admissible at a subsequent trial when the hearing was held under circumstances akin to a trial. The preliminary hearing is akin to a trial where the witness is under oath, the defendant is represented by counsel, and the defendant is given the opportunity to cross-examine the witness. California v. Green, 399 U.S. 149, 165, 90 S.Ct. 1930, 1938, 26 L.Ed.2d 489 (1970); cf. Pointer v. Texas, 380 U.S. 400, 407, 85 S.Ct. 1065, 1069, 13 L.Ed.2d 923 (1965) (distinguishing inadmissible prior testimony when defendant not represented at preliminary hearing from admissible prior testimony when defendant represented by counsel and given adequate opportunity to cross-examine). However, if the circumstances and facts of a particular case indicate that there was a real difference in motive or other limitation on meaningful cross-examination, the testimony should not be admitted. See Slayton, 90 N.M. at 450, 564 P.2d at 1331-32 (unavailable witness's prior testimony regarding defendant's insanity not admissible at trial on defendant's guilt because similar motive to cross-examine was absent); see also Barber v. Page, 390 U.S. 719, 725-26, 88 S.Ct. 1318, 1322, 20 L.Ed.2d 255 (1968) (prior testimony of witness not admissible where witness was not unavailable and defendant had no meaningful opportunity to cross-examine witness at preliminary hearing). [3] The distinction between admissible and inadmissible prior testimony was effectively characterized in United States v. Allen, 409 F.2d 611 (10th Cir.1969). In Allen, the court considered whether preliminary hearing testimony should be admissible at trial when the issue at the preliminary hearing is probable cause, while at trial the issue is guilt or innocence with the accompanying motivation for more probing cross-examination. As the Allen court explained, We believe that the test is the opportunity for full and complete cross-examination rather than the use which is made of that opportunity. At the [preliminary] hearing   , the defendant and his counsel were confronted by the witnesses who testified under oath and were subjected, without limitation, to extensive cross-examination. The extent of cross-examination, whether at a preliminary hearing or at a trial, is a trial tactic. The manner of use of that trial tactic does not create a constitutional right. To paraphrase Pointer [380 U.S. at 407, 85 S.Ct. at 1069] the statements of the witnesses were made at a full-fledged hearing with accused present and represented by counsel who was given a complete and adequate opportunity to cross-examine. Id. at 613. In the instant case, defendant was represented by counsel at the preliminary hearing, the rules of evidence were in force at that hearing, and defendant was given the opportunity to cross-examine Carrillo. See SCRA 1986, 6-202(A) (Repl.Pamp. 1990). While defendant did not exercise his right to cross-examination, he did so of his own volition. No action of the State impeded his opportunity to develop or impeach Carrillo's testimony. [4] It was not until defendant decided to change his tactics that he decided that cross-examination would be necessary. Under these circumstances, we hold that the testimony was admissible under an accepted hearsay exception and that, because he was given the opportunity to cross-examine the witness at the preliminary hearing, defendant was not denied the right to confront the witness against him.