Opinion ID: 391423
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admissibility of Brown's Testimony

Text: 17 Appellant Richardson maintains as a separate ground for reversal the trial court's failure to exclude the testimony of Ms. Brown. He argues that her appearance after the shooting and the fact that she testified from a wheelchair unduly prejudiced and influenced the jury. While we cannot say that Brown's appearance was in itself so prejudicial that the trial court abused its discretion in admitting her testimony under Rule 403, Federal Rules of Evidence, we do conclude that her appearance in conjunction with juror exposure to the reason for her confinement to the wheelchair may have resulted in a prejudicial assessment of her credibility. The defense was largely based on attacking the credibility of this witness who had agreed to testify only upon receiving immunity from prosecution, and an assessment of her credibility by an impartial jury was critical. 18 Therefore, this ground merges with that of prejudicial in-trial publicity and on the basis of their cumulative effect on the jury we reverse the district court's refusal to grant a motion for mistrial.