Opinion ID: 2107875
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cross-Examination of State's Witnesses

Text: Prior to trial, the court granted the State's motion in limine, which precluded the defendants from inquiring into the criminal histories of State's witnesses Smith and Thompson. Hatchett now argues that these criminal histories should have been admissible as they formed part of the basis of the bargain between the witnesses and the State and because they tended to show the witnesses' bias and prejudice in favor of the State. In addition to possessing the illegal weapons used in this robbery, Smith had two previous convictions for violation of the 1935 Indiana Firearms Act. Hatchett finds particular significance in the fact that the State did not charge Smith with his third firearms offense, for which he would have been subjected to a higher penalty. While all agreements with the State must be disclosed, Smith v. State (1985), Ind., 475 N.E.2d 1139, there is no evidence here to indicate any undisclosed agreement by the State. Smith testified that his testimony was given in exchange for the State's agreement not to prosecute on the robbery charge. This agreement was fully disclosed to the jury; Smith disavowed any other agreement. Likewise, there was an absence of proof about the existence of any extraneous agreement between the State and Thompson. The State agreed to forego charges against Thompson in the present case in exchange for his testimony. In pleading guilty to an earlier, unrelated charge, Thompson had given Indianapolis police a clean-up statement admitting participation in four or five other robberies. He was not charged with these robberies and the potential charges were not part of the earlier plea bargain. There was no evidence that the prosecutor who entered into the present agreement knew of the existence of the earlier clean-up statement or any indication that the statement was any part of the present agreement. The State fully revealed all existing agreements with the witnesses. Appellant has not shown the existence of any further agreements. The court did not err in disallowing questioning regarding nonexistent agreements. Bland v. State (1984), Ind., 468 N.E.2d 1032. Hatchett also argues that cross-examination regarding the witnesses' criminal histories should have been allowed to show their bias toward the State. He correctly distinguishes between evidence of prior criminal conduct offered to impeach the character of the witness and evidence offered to show the bias or prejudice of the witness. As the Supreme Court explained: One way of discrediting the witness is to introduce evidence of a prior criminal conviction of that witness. By so doing the cross-examiner intends to afford the jury a basis to infer that the witness' character is such that he would be less likely than the average trustworthy citizen to be truthful in his testimony. The introduction of evidence of a prior crime is thus a general attack on the credibility of the witness. A more particular attack on the witness' credibility is effected by means of cross examination directed toward revealing possible biases, prejudice, or ulterior motives of the witness as they may relate directly to the issues or personalities in the case at hand. The partiality of a witness is subject to exploration at trial and is always relevant as discrediting the witness and affecting the weight of his testimony. Davis v. Alaska, 415 U.S. 308, 316, 94 S.Ct. 1105, 1110, 39 L.Ed.2d 347, 353-54 (1974). Only those crimes which reflect on the witness' propensity to tell the truth are relevant to a general attack on his character. In Indiana those convictions which may be used to impeach a witness' character are limited to infamous crimes and crimes of dishonesty and false statement. Ashton v. Anderson (1972), 258 Ind. 51, 279 N.E.2d 210. Evidence of Smith's prior firearms convictions or of Thompson's prior criminal acts clearly do not fall within this limitation. Moreover, had Thompson's criminal history been offered as general impeachment of character, it would have been disallowed under the general prohibition against particular acts of misconduct not reduced to a conviction. Chambers v. State (1979), 271 Ind. 357, 392 N.E.2d 1156. Hatchett, however, offered proof of Smith's prior convictions and Thompson's criminal acts, not as evidence impeaching their character, but as evidence of the witnesses' desire to curry favor with the State. He argued that these prior criminal activities gave the witnesses added incentive to cooperate with the State, thereby demonstrating their bias. The constitutionally protected right of cross-examination is especially important to expose the possible biases, prejudices or ulterior motives of the witness. This right is not unlimited, however. The conduct of cross-examination lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. Hossman v. State (1984), Ind., 467 N.E.2d 416. It is not reversible error to disallow cross-examination for bias and prejudice if the questioning would not give rise to a reasonable degree of probability of bias and prejudice. Blankenship v. State (1984), Ind., 462 N.E.2d 1311. In this case, the defendant had sufficient opportunity to explore the witnesses' bias. Both witnesses admitted that they were testifying as a result of an agreement with the State. Both admitted to prior convictions admissible under the Ashton rule; Smith admitted that he possessed illegal firearms but was not charged with such possession. Under these circumstances, the trial court's limitation of cross-examination was not an abuse of discretion. A similar conclusion was reached on this issue in co-defendant Hunter's appeal. Hunter v. State (1986), Ind., 492 N.E.2d 1067.