Opinion ID: 1382635
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Did the trial court err in refusing to allow appellant to cross-examine Blackwell concerning dismissed indictments on narcotics charges?

Text: Blackwell testified for the State as an eyewitness to the trooper's death. Appellant sought to cross-examine Blackwell concerning her indictments on ten separate narcotics charges. Blackwell had pled guilty to one indictment, possession of cocaine, and the other nine indictments were dismissed. The trial court refused to permit appellant to cross-examine Blackwell concerning the dismissed charges, but permitted appellant to proffer the questions for the record. During the proffer, Blackwell answered I don't recall to each of appellant's questions concerning the dismissed indictments. The right to a meaningful cross-examination of an adverse witness is included in the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confront his accusers. State v. Smith, 315 S.C. 547, 446 S.E.2d 411 (1994). This does not mean, however, that trial courts conducting criminal trials lose their usual discretion to limit the scope of cross-examination. See State v. Lynn, 277 S.C. 222, 284 S.E.2d 786 (1981) (a trial court's ruling concerning the scope of cross-examination of a witness to test his credibility should not be disturbed on appeal absent a manifest abuse of discretion). On the contrary, trial judges retain wide latitude insofar as the Confrontation Clause is concerned to impose reasonable limits on such cross-examination based on concerns about, among other things, harassment, prejudice, confusion of the issues, witness' safety, or interrogation that is repetitive or only marginally relevant. Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 679, 106 S.Ct. 1431, 89 L.Ed.2d 674 (1986). The trial court did not abuse its discretion in limiting the scope of cross-examination to comply with the South Carolina Rules of Evidence. Rule 609 permits impeachment of a witness by evidence of conviction of certain crimes. Rule 609, SCRE. Prior bad acts which are not the subject of conviction, such as the dismissed indictments here, may only be inquired into, in the discretion of the court, if probative of truthfulness or untruthfulness. Rule 608(b), SCRE. Narcotics offenses are generally not considered probative of truthfulness. See, e.g., United States v. Turner, 104 F.3d 217, 223 (8th Cir.1997) (Misconduct involving violations of narcotics laws is not an act involving dishonesty or untruthfulness and therefore may not be inquired into under Federal Rule of Evidence 608(b).). Nor are the dismissed indictments evidence of bias, prejudice or any motive to misrepresent under Rule 608(c). The trial court properly limited the scope of cross-examination to Blackwell's actual convictions.