Court Opinion

ID: 9454100
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:36:14.19478+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:58.314138
License: Public Domain

TAMM, Circuit Judge
(concurring in part and dissenting in part):
While I concur in the majority’s holding to remand this case for a determination of the out-of-court identification procedures in the light of Stovall and Simmons, I cannot, in conscience, adhere to its ruling with respect to the Miranda-Tate-Walder issue in this appeal.1 Appellant argues that the averment of the defendant, id est, that he had not worked for three weeks, goes directly to the issue of guilt or innocence and not simply that it affects his credibility. For this position they rely on Johnson v. United States, 120 U.S.App.D.C. 69, 344 F.2d 163 (1964). However, in Johnson the statement in question was a direct confession implicating the defendant — denied from the stand and brought out in rebuttal. Noting that the statement was given in *823violation of the principles espoused in Mallory v. United States, 354 U.S. 449, 77 S.Ct. 1356, 1 L.Ed.2d 1479 (1957), this court looked to see if that same evidence could be utilized by the Government to impeach the defendant under the doctrine of Tate v. United States, 109 U.S.App.D.C. 13, 283 F.2d 377 (1960) and Walder v. United States, 347 U.S. 62, 74 S.Ct. 354, 98 L.Ed. 503 (1954). In Johnson we refused to permit, for impeachment purposes, the introduction of illegally obtained statements “which bear directly on a defendant’s guilt or innocence.” Supra 120 U.S.App.D.C. at 72, 344 F.2d at 166. (Emphasis supplied.) I am in complete agreement with that principle. However, the Johnson case is distinguishable from the instant case in that his statement was per se inculpatory. The statement of David Proctor on the other hand, was innocuous at the time and place uttered and only became crucial when viewed in the light of his alibi defense at trial. As Judge Burger said in Tate, “when (the defendant) gave one story to the police and another in court, and neither story covered any act which was per se inculpatory, the jury is entitled to hear both versions.” Tate v. United States, supra 109 U.S.App.D.C. at 16, 283 F.2d at 380 (emphasis supplied). The question of the detective herein was to obtain information for a line-up sheet for police use in identification (Tr. Vol. II p. 40). The answer elicited was neither per se inculpatory nor exculpatory.2 It would become inculpatory only if the jury sought to disbelieve it. It was their prerogative.
Appellant also relies on Blair and Suggs v. United States, 130 U.S.App.D.C. 322, 401 F.2d 387 (1968) as requiring a remand on this issue. Blair, however, dealt with a detailed account of the defendant’s whereabouts prior to, during and subsequent to an alleged robbery. Those questions sought to pinpoint the defendant’s whereabouts and were thus “directly related to the offense charged.” Blair and Suggs v. United States, supra note 9. Here the questioning was not an attempt to encourage the defendant to explain his whereabouts at the time of the robbery but merely to determine if the defendant was employed. As the Supreme Court said in Walder v. United States, supra 347 U.S. at 65, 74 S.Ct. at 356, “[the defendant] must be free to deny all the elements of the case against him without thereby giving leave to the Government to introduce by way of rebuttal, evidence illegally secured by it * * *. Beyond that, however, there is hardly justification for letting the defendant affirmatively resort to perjurious testimony in reliance on the Government’s disability to challenge his credibility.” (Emphasis supplied.)
“Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you shall give to the Court and jury in the case now on trial mil be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
"I do."
Thus begins the testimony of a witness in our trial courts. It is with fear of the Maker and jeopardy of impeachment that the subsequent testimony is supplied, The majority holding vitiates the “jeopardy” element and leaves to an overburdened Providence the sole responsibility for insuring the credibility of a witness.- In a world that preaches “God is dead” and where it is vogue to flaunt civil authority the question of oaths and truth is slowly becoming academic. The instant ruling gives this defendant a shield which he in turn wields as a perjurious sword against a defenseless prosecutor. We said in Tate that we intend to inhibit testifying falsely. Today we disregard that intention.

. Miranda v. State of Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966); Tate v. United States, 109 U.S.App.D.C. 13, 283 F.2d 377 (1960); Walder v. United States, 347 U.S. 62, 74 S.Ct. 354, 98 L.Ed. 503 (1954).

. Had the defendant been asked where he was living (I suppose it was in fact asked) and had given an answer which was later to conflict with his alibi could it be argued that the Government could not confront him with that conflict (by way of impeachment) regardless of Miranda?