Opinion ID: 2176137
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: written statement of witness jereen brown

Text: State's witness Jereen Brown testified at trial that on January 22, 1988, while she was returning to her apartment in the same building where the murders occurred, she saw two men emerging from the building. The men quickly passed by her and almost knocked her down. When asked whether one of those men was now present in the courtroom, Ms. Brown replied, I can't remember. She responded identically when asked to give a detailed description of the two men she saw the evening of January 22, 1988. The State's Attorney then attempted to refresh Ms. Brown's memory with a written statement that she had given to police in the early morning hours of January 23, 1988, detailing what she had seen on the night of the murders. She stated that, although her memory was fresh when she originally made the statement to the police, re-reading the statement on the witness stand did not refresh her recollection of the events. Over Henry's objection, the court admitted the statement into evidence. Henry now asserts that the statement was inadmissible hearsay, and its admission into evidence resulted in reversible error. He further contends that since the trial judge admitted this exhibit without considering, or making reference to any hearsay exceptions, its admission is prohibited. It is an obvious conclusion that Ms. Brown's written statement to the police is hearsay: it was an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. The crucial question then becomes whether an exception to the hearsay exclusion applies. A writing is admissible under the exception for past recollection recorded if: (1) The witness had first-hand knowledge of the matters recorded in the writing; (2) The witness' present recollection is impaired and cannot be fully refreshed, so that the writing will provide more accurate information than the witness' testimony to present recollection; (3) The writing was made or adopted by the witness at or near the time of the event recorded; (4) At that time, the witness or another recorded the facts correctly or the witness recognized as correct the facts recorded. L. McLain, Maryland Evidence, § 803(5).1 at 371-72 (1987) (footnotes omitted). See Bloodsworth v. State, 307 Md. 164, 189-92, 512 A.2d 1056, 1069-70 (1986); see also McCormick on Evidence, § 299 (E. Cleary 3d ed. 1984). Under this exception, a written recollection is admissible into evidence. Holcomb v. State, 307 Md. 457, 464, 515 A.2d 213, 216 (1986). Ms. Brown's written statement fulfills the appropriate criteria and is admissible as a past recollection recorded. We find no merit in Henry's assertion that the trial judge erred by not expressly finding that the applicable hearsay exception was satisfied. The statement was clearly admissible, and the judge was correct in his ruling. It was admissible regardless of whether the judge gave no reason or even the wrong reason. [A] trial court's decision may be correct although for a different reason than relied on by that court. Robeson v. State, 285 Md. 498, 502, 403 A.2d 1221 (1979), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 1021, 100 S.Ct. 680, 62 L.Ed.2d 654 (1981). No prejudicial error occurred.