Opinion ID: 2612858
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: extent of witness' prior drug use

Text: Peckham's roommate, Robbie Clem, was a main witness against him during the guilt phase of this case. There were discrepancies in her testimony. For example, she testified that she made a telephone call to 911 on Wednesday and a call to radio station KFDI on Friday, but other evidence showed that both calls were actually made on Friday. Mr. Rathbun was permitted to question her about these discrepancies. She testified, I've known my memory to lapse before.... It's my past drug usage, you know, and it just  sometimes I have a hard time remembering things, you know, it's not that I do things intentionally, you know, it's just that I've got a defective brain. It's not intentional. Defense counsel was not permitted to examine the witness concerning the extent of her prior drug use and treatment programs she had been in. The trial judge reasoned that there was no evidence that she was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incidents about which she was testifying, that the witness had already testified that her previous drug usage had affected her memory, and that the prejudicial effect of such evidence far outweighed the probative value. Peckham points out: For purposes of discrediting a witness, drug-use evidence is admissible to the extent it shows the witness was under the influence of drugs at the time of the occurrence as to which the witness testifies or at the time of trial. It is also admissible to the extent that it shows the witness' mind, memory, or powers of observation were affected by the habit. State v. Osby, 246 Kan. 621, Syl. ¶ 2, 793 P.2d 243 (1990). See State v. Coe, 223 Kan. 153, 162-63, 574 P.2d 929 (1977); State v. Nix, 215 Kan. 880, Syl. ¶ 6, 529 P.2d 147 (1974); State v. Belote, 213 Kan. 291, 295-96, 516 P.2d 159 (1973). Thus, evidence that the witness' memory was affected by her prior use of drugs would be admissible here, even in the absence of any evidence that she was under the influence of drugs at the time of the events about which she was testifying. The admission of evidence rests in the sound discretion of the trial judge. Herbstreith v. de Bakker, 249 Kan. 67, Syl. ¶ 11, 815 P.2d 102 (1991). The judge did not abuse his discretion in refusing to permit defense counsel to question the witness further in light of the fact that the witness had already testified that her prior use of drugs had impaired her memory. In any event, the appellant has failed to include in the record on appeal the exhibit proffered to show the extent of the witness' drug use. He merely asserts in his brief that he obtained records from Clem's State Parole Officer indicating that she had used marijuana for the last ten years, that she had used amphetamines for the last two years, and listed drug treatment programs that the witness had been in. However, at the out-of-the-presence-of-the-jury discussion between the parties and the court concerning permitting defense counsel to elicit from the witness the reason for the discrepancies in her recollection of the events, the State asked the witness how much time had elapsed from her last usage of drugs or alcohol, and the witness indicated that more than six months had elapsed. Peckham does not suggest that the witness was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the events about which she was testifying. She had previously testified that her memory was adversely affected by her prior drug use. There is no showing that evidence of the extent of the witness' prior drug use would have provided additional evidence that her memory was affected by such drug use. Thus, the trial court did not err in excluding evidence about the extent of her prior drug use.