Court Opinion

ID: 9669112
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:39:44.160907+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:52.546784
License: Public Domain

*867STEPHENS, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
Respeetfully, I dissent from the majority’s affirmance of three issues presented to this Qour^
I.GENERAL PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT
Throughout the entire trial, the Commonwealth’s actions were replete with misconduct. In voir dire the Commonwealth informed the jury that the Commonwealth represented the community and that defense counsel did not. In opening statement the Commonwealth verbally attacked A.C.’s mother and told the jurors that the examining physician would testify that her diagnosis was sexual abuse. Defense counsel’s objections to the Commonwealth’s argumentative statements were sustained. In the majority opinion we have discussed two reversible errors that occurred in the Commonwealth’s presentation of the case. During its case in chief the Commonwealth continued its verbal assault on A.C.’s mother. As will be discussed below, the vast majority of the Commonwealth’s cross-examination of appellant was improper. In closing, the jury was admonished that the Commonwealth had improperly commented on the jury instructions. Another admonition was given regarding the Commonwealth’s comment about defense counsel’s actions. In the penalty phase the Commonwealth improperly read to the jury from an unpublished Court of Appeals opinion.
The Court in Faulkner v. Commonwealth, Ky., 423 S.W.2d 245, 248 (1968), stated that:
[ujpon reading the record of the trial of this case the conclusion is inescapable that the Commonwealth’s attorney pursued a course of action deliberately calculated to cause the jury’s decision to be influenced by improper factors. In this he overstepped the bounds of propriety and fairness which should characterize the conduct of a prosecuting attorney.
As previously noted, prosecutorial misconduct extended throughout the trial. We have stated that in some instances errors taken separately are insufficient to require reversal. However, errors taken collectively mandate reversal. Sanborn v. Commonwealth, Ky., 754 S.W.2d 534 (1988). Here the eumu-l&tion of errors and prosecutorial misconduct require reversal. The misconduct was too frequent and too prejudicial to ignore.
II. OPINION TESTIMONY BY THE DETECTIVE
Detective Fraction, with the CACU of the Louisville Police Department, testified that after speaking with A.C. and taking her to the hospital she “went to seek a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Alexander because I felt, in my opinion that the child was telling the truth.” The trial court sustained appellant’s objection, but overruled a request for a mistrial.
The opinion given by the detective constitutes reversible error. In Bussey v. Commonwealth, Ky., 797 S.W.2d 483 (1990), a police officer testified that he had concluded that some type of misconduct had occurred. We found that this amounted to a declaration that the officer believed the story told by the victim. In Bussey we concluded that such testimony was prejudicial error and reversed as to this issue.
In the case before us the jury was told in clear and concise language that the detective believed that A.C. was telling the truth. This testimony was far more prejudicial than that in Bussey. Such opinion testimony is clearly inadmissible and requires a reversal when it has been expressed to the jury.
III. IMPROPER CROSS-EXAMINATION OF APPELLANT
Of the Commonwealth’s sixteen minute cross-examination of appellant, thirteen minutes were devoted to questioning appellant about whether he and his family were receiving welfare benefits and about whether appellant had committed welfare fraud.
According to the Commonwealth, the purpose of this line of questioning was to rebut appellant’s testimony that he was working during the time frame in which the abuse allegedly occurred. Working during the daytime would not have provided an alibi in any event because the child said that the assault *868occurred at night and the appellant testified that he was at the apartment in the evening.
On three separate instances the trial judge limited the Commonwealth’s inquiry to the specific days surrounding the alleged offense. After each admonition the Commonwealth would again delve into the collateral matters of whether appellant had committed welfare fraud and whether appellant was still receiving welfare benefits.
The Commonwealth’s cross-examination of appellant was totally irrelevant and highly prejudicial. Contained in the cross-examination was improper impeachment on a collateral matter and improper discussion of a collateral criminal matter. The Commonwealth attempted to evoke dislike and bias against appellant based on such collateral matter. It is reversible error for the Commonwealth to attempt to sway the jury to determine the issue of guilt or innocence upon a basis other than evidence pertaining to the charge. Pankey v. Commonwealth, Ky., 485 S.W.2d 513 (1972).
Because the Commonwealth injected irrelevant collateral matter which was unduly prejudicial, I would reverse as to this issue as well.
COMBS and LEIBSON, JJ., join in this dissent.