Opinion ID: 896229
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Former Testimony

Text: [¶ 4] Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev., governs the admission of former testimony of a witness as an exception to the hearsay rule. Rule 804 (a)(5), N.D.R.Ev., defines a witness as unavailable if attendance cannot be procured by process or other reasonable means. Rule 804(b)(1), N.D.R.Ev., provides: (b) Hearsay Exceptions. The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule if the declarant is unavailable as a witness: (1) Former Testimony. Testimony given as a witness at another hearing of the same or a different proceeding, or in a deposition taken in compliance with law in the course of the same or another proceeding, if the party against whom the testimony is now offered, or, in a civil action or proceeding, a predecessor in interest, had an opportunity and similar motive to develop the testimony by direct, cross, or redirect examination. [¶ 5] Inquiry regarding availability of a witness under Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev., is similar to inquiry regarding the right to confront a witness under the Sixth Amendment. United States v. Johnson, 108 F.3d 919, 922 (8th Cir.1997). The standard for unavailability as an exception to the confrontation requirement is whether the State has made a good-faith effort to obtain the witness's presence at trial. State v. Flamm, 351 N.W.2d 108, 109 (N.D.1984). Determining whether the State has made a good-faith effort to locate a witness is within the discretion of the trial court. State v. Erickson, 241 N.W.2d 854, 863 (N.D.1976). Former testimony given under oath is recognized as usually very reliable and, therefore, absent a specific challenge, we need not probe the reliability or trustworthiness of the offered statements. Johnson, 108 F.3d at 922. Furthermore, Gagnon has conceded McIalwain was subject to full cross-examination by Gagnon's counsel in the first trial, eliminating the need to consider that part of Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev., dealing with opportunity and motive to fully develop the prior testimony. [¶ 6] In this case, the trial court held a full hearing on whether there had been a good-faith effort to locate McIalwain. The court found the State had issued a subpoena on March 12, 1998, one month and one day before trial. The subpoena was returned on April 9, 1998, unexecuted. The court found the deputies assisting the State had checked the local computer system, checked the city directory, and contacted people living at McIalwain's last known address. After receiving information that McIalwain was living in Michigan, contact was made with McIalwain's father, who indicated McIalwain was in Michigan with his mother. The State obtained a postal box address in Michigan and verbally contacted officials in the county where the address was located, producing no leads. The police also made inquiry regarding McIalwain's mother's driving license, which yielded no further information. The police also tried to contact McIalwain's sister, obtaining a phone number in Sawyer, North Dakota, that was no longer in service. Based on those efforts, the trial court found the search for McIalwain to have been reasonable, and allowed his prior testimony to be read to the jury, noting there had been extensive cross-examination by Gagnon's then attorney. Based on the court's careful consideration of the efforts made to locate McIalwain, we are unable to say the court abused its discretion in allowing the prior testimony of McIalwain to be read to the jury under Rule 804, N.D.R.Ev. [¶ 7] Gagnon asserts we should give additional consideration to the importance of this witness to the prosecution, and the seriousness of the charges against him. However, Gagnon concedes in his brief and at oral argument that McIalwain was subjected to vigorous cross-examination, and has not offered any specific need for additional cross-examination. See, e.g., Johnson, 108 F.3d at 922.