Opinion ID: 1858107
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 24

Heading: Incompetent Witness/Assignment of Error 8

Text: In a related assignment of error, defendant complains the court erred when it allowed an incompetent witness, Jerri Vining, to testify. Jerri Vining was 36 years old, lived at home, and had gone to school through the fourth grade. Her mother testified Jerri was not retarded, only slow. Jerri Vining was able to recall, nearly ten years later, the occurrence of this crime and specific details. Defense counsel was not precluded in any way from cross-examining the witness as to her testimony or credibility nor did the defense object to Miss Vining's competency to testify. Although the record shows Ms. Vining appears to be somewhat mentally deficient, this was a factor for the jury to consider in assessing the weight to be given to her testimony. Furthermore, the accounts of the episode by the mother and daughter are relatively seamless, and any variation might reasonably be attributed to the different perspectives of the women. There is no error here.