Opinion ID: 6216640
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Chadwick Testimony.

Text: ¶21 Lake called Jesse Chadwick (Chadwick) to testify on his behalf. Chadwick was a childhood friend and Army buddy who served with Lake in Afghanistan. He testified that prior to the stabbing incident, Lake voiced concerns that “he would be jumped” due to bar 17 regulars “persecuting him” for “open[ing] up about a dream that he had.” He testified that it was his “impression” that Lake was “looking for . . . a way to walk away . . . without having to fight” and that he sought Chadwick’s advice on how to “peacefully” resolve the “conflict” with Zitnik. Defense counsel then asked Chadwick, “What’s your opinion of . . . [Lake’s] veracity for truth [and] . . . honesty[?]” to which he replied, “100 percent . . . [u]nequivocally.” On cross-examination, non-sequitur to his prior testimony regarding Lake’s character for truthfulness, the State extensively questioned Chadwick about his knowledge of Lake’s comments to others about child sexual abuse, and whether he thought their adverse reactions were reasonable: [State]: So [Lake] told you that he was having problems with some people at Jesters, right? . . . And he had opened up about a dream that he had, correct? [Chadwick]: Correct. [State]: Did he tell you that when he related this dream to a couple of people at Jesters that he made the motion like that he was having sex with someone, with this 14-year-old that he had the dream about? Were you aware of that? [Chadwick]: No, he didn’t. [State]: Were you aware that he would yell the term . . . “skull fucker” in the bar and just randomly yell that out? [Chadwick]: . . . We had talked about it at one point, yes, but that’s the only exposure I have ever had to that. [State]: Did he tell you that he had a joke that he would tell about a five-yearold in the trunk of a car? [Chadwick]: I did not hear that, no. 18 [State]: And so does it make sense to you that people might have concerns if somebody is sharing this information that’s making light of and maybe even boasting about sexual abuse of children? [Chadwick]: I am kind of the king of off-color jokes myself and I mean I see the line a little clearer than he does is the . . . way that I see it. [State]: Okay. Let me tell you what the joke was, all right? [Chadwick]: Okay. [State]: And I guess the jury can decide whether they think it’s off-color or something beyond that. The joke was – and he told this to the police after he was detained – “What’s black and blue and doesn’t like sex?” [A]nd the answer is, “The five-year-old in my trunk.” That seems to be a little bit beyond off-color; wouldn’t you agree with that? [Chadwick]: I have heard that [joke] from other people before. [State]: . . . So Mr. Lake’s testimony yesterday was that some people thought it was funny and some people didn’t. So do you know a lot of people who think that joke is funny? [Chadwick]: I know a lot of people who would laugh at that joke, yes, I do. ... [State]: [D]o you think it’s reasonable that people at Jesters were not just concerned about [Lake’s child rape] dream . . . and the way he related it but also his comments about being a skull fucker and the jokes and that sort of thing? [Chadwick]: Probably was not being his best advocate, no. [State]: . . . Do you think it would be reasonable for a person that had a 14-year-old daughter to be offended about a person telling them about a dream that they had had— [Defense]: Objection. Speculation and not relevant. ... 19 [Court]: Overruled. [State]: Do you think it would be reasonable or unreasonable for somebody who had a 14-year-old daughter to be offended by that? [Chadwick]: I think it would be reasonable. 4. Final Limiting Instruction and Verdict. ¶22 Based on its stated concern that “[t]here ha[d] been a lot of talk over [Lake’s] perverse statements, a lot of testimony about it,” the District Court included in its final jury instruction set, inter alia, the preliminary jury instruction given earlier regarding the limited scope of admissibility of the multitude of trial references to Lake’s child sex abuse comments and references. Upon deliberation, the jury returned a verdict finding Lake guilty of attempted deliberate homicide, but not guilty of tampering with evidence. The District Court later sentenced Lake to serve an 80-year prison term with no time suspended, inter alia. Lake timely appeals.