Court Opinion

ID: 9759599
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 00:21:29.736855+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:03.192222
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Watkins, J.:
I find it necessary to dissent and would grant a new trial.
The defendant’s right to a fair trial was prejudiced by being deprived of the use of prior contradictory testimony, given under doath, in a federal court, at the trial of the same defendant, on the same drug transaction, offered for the purpose of attacking the credibility of the Commonwealth’s chief and only witness to the alleged unlawful act.
The majority find that the failure of counsel for the defendant to lay the groundwork for the introduction of the testimony, by first calling the witness’s attention to the prior contradictory statements, where and when made, made their admission within the sound discretion of the court.
This reasoning might have logic and purpose if we were dealing with prior verbal contradictory statements not made under oath, made away from trial atmosphere or made at places and times having nothing to do with the crime charged.
*167But here, we are dealing with alleged contradictory testimony made under oath, evidenced by the stenographic notes of testimony, produced and to be read by the stenographer who made them. The testimony, under oath, was taken in a federal court of record, in the trial of the same defendant on the same drug transaction. The said witness was the chief witness for the Commonwealth both in this trial and in the federal trial. In the former, the defendant was convicted, in the latter acquitted.
In Com. v. Fields, 171 Pa. Superior Ct. 177, 90 A. 2d 391 (1952), the transcribed testimony of a magistrate’s hearing was offered to impeach a witness without the necessary groundwork being laid. The Commonwealth objected for that reason and counsel for the defendant, feeling from the comment of the trial court that the ruling would be against him, abandoned his offer. This Court included this incident, among others that it found, operated to the disadvantage of the defendant and granted a new trial. Judge Hirt speaking for this Court, at page 181, said: “There were incidents in the trial which operated to the disadvantage of the defendants through no fault of theirs. Going to the credibility of Mrs. Jackson the notes of her testimony at the magistrate’s hearing were offered in evidence to prove prior inconsistent testimony on matters germane to the issue. The notes were admissible to impeach the witness. Act of May 9, 1949, P. L. 1028, §12, 42 PS §1140, amending prior legislation. And under the circumstances the court well might have admitted the transcript of her prior testimony although ground had not been laid for its admission by first calling her attention to the contradictions.” . . .
We can certainly infer from this language that if counsel for the defendant had not withdrawn his offer and if the court had denied admission of the testimony, *168this Court, would have properly found an abuse of discretion.
When the stenographer’s transcript of a trial may be admitted without the presence of the stenographer, the same possibility of error exists in the transcription as when the stenographer reads directly from the notes of testimony. In fact, opposing counsel is in a much better position to ferret out error when the stenographer is. present for cross-examination.
It was certainly not the fault of the defendant that the notes of testimony were not transcribed. The fact of an acquittal usually precludes the necessity of transcription. But if this is the chief complaint, there was nothing to prevent the Commonwealth from asking for, and the court directing the transcription of the entire testimony of the witness. Any. question of material taken out of context, statements, modified, qualified or explained, could then be resolved. '
“Formerly where it was intended to impeach the credibility of a witness by the proof of verbal statements contrary to his present testimony, the rule was imperative that the witness must first be asked as to the subject matter, the place and person involved in the proposed contradiction; otherwise no proof of such statements would be admitted. Later this rule was so far modified as to leave its enforcement to the sound discretion of the court, which discretion was subject to review.” Com. v. Rothman, 168 Pa. Superior Ct. 163, note 1, page 166, 77 A. 2d 731 (1951).
■ If this rule was intended to apply to the testimony of a witness under oath in a court of record, where it seems to me the reason and purpose of the rule does not apply, then, clearly, under the circumstances of this case as above set forth, the court below abused its discretion and prejudiced the defendant in denying him the benefit of the alleged contradictory testimony.