Opinion ID: 669733
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Impeachment based on bogus drug transaction

Text: 18 In addition to changing his story regarding whether the defendant had a gun, Taylor also changed his story regarding a bogus drug transaction. Shortly after the incident, Taylor and Patterson each gave statements in which they indicated that the incident was precipitated by a bogus drug transaction. According to the statements, Taylor had attempted to buy drugs from Patterson. Patterson delivered soap instead of drugs but collected $88.00 anyway. At trial Taylor testified that there was no attempted purchase of drugs. The prosecutor impeached him with his prior inconsistent statements. 19 Before trial the defendant filed a motion in limine to exclude any testimony about this drug transaction. The court denied that motion. He renews his objection now and contends that it was error to allow the impeachment evidence. He argues that this was a collateral matter and the court should not have allowed the government to introduce extrinsic evidence for impeachment purposes. 20 The existence of a bogus drug transaction clearly was not collateral to the main issues in the trial. An issue is collateral if it could not be introduced for any reason other than contradiction. United States v. Jarrett, 705 F.2d 198, 207 (7th Cir.1983). The defendant was indicted for possessing a firearm in connection with certain events arising on June 7, 1992. It is impossible to present adequate evidence concerning the possession of the firearm without describing the events immediately leading up to that possession. James Patterson testified that Kyle Taylor asked him if he had anything with which to get high, meaning a drug of some sort. He then delivered soap to Taylor and received roughly $80.00. Shortly after he delivered the soap and took the money, Anita Witherspoon approached the defendant's car brandishing a machete. At that time, both the defendant and his cousin threatened Witherspoon with guns. The evidence of the drug transaction is relevant to, and inextricably intertwined with, the threat with the machete and the counter threat with the guns. The drug transaction and the possession of the firearm thus are not separate unrelated events but integral parts of one single incident. Therefore it was not error to allow impeachment evidence on this point as that evidence could have been, and in fact was, admitted for a purpose other than contradiction. 8 21