Opinion ID: 2584893
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Assertedly Improper Questions of Defendant Concerning Credibility of Other Witnesses

Text: Defendant challenges on appeal several questions the prosecutor asked him during cross-examination as to whether defendant thought his former wives and girlfriends were lying when they testified about the abuse he inflicted upon them, and why they would do so. Defendant objected to some of the questions, but the objections were overruled. Assuming defendant's appellate claims were preserved, we conclude they are without merit because there was no misconduct. Although it is true that to ask one witness for an opinion regarding other witnesses' credibility may be improper, in that such were they lying questions might merely call for speculation from that witness, in the present case, defendant, who had personal knowledge of whether he abused these women in the manner to which they testified, opened the door to the prosecutor's questions by testifying in his direct examination that these witnesses were untruthful. (See People v. Chatman (2006) 38 Cal.4th 344, 382-383 [42 Cal.Rptr.3d 621, 133 P.3d 534].)