Court Opinion

ID: 9541402
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:25:05.703428+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:02:49.509580
License: Public Domain

BUSSEY, Judge,
dissents:
I must respectfully dissent. While it is true that the court rejected the offer of proof of the defendant, it is equally true that the trial court allowed defense counsel great latitude in cross-examining the prose*183cuting witness. By way of illustration, the following questions were propounded and answers received:
Q. Cindy, have you ever had occasion to complain to anyone else or to anyone about anyone else sexually attacking you?
A. (Witness nods head)
THE COURT: You will have to speak up, Cindy.
A. No.
Q. No is the answer.
THE COURT: The jury can’t hear you. I’m sorry.
MR. LOCK: ‘No,’ was the answer I believe, Your Honor.
A. No.
Q. Correct, Cindy? Do you have an uncle by the name Abe Eslick?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you ever complain that he tried to rape you?
A. No. (Tr. 30)

Q. Did you go to parties where they participated in drinking, drugs and group sex?
A. No.
Q. Well, isn’t it true that you came home and told your father that you had been to an orgy?
A. Do I have to answer that?
THE COURT: Yes.
A. Yes.
Q. Did you tell him that you had taken on five different boys, didn’t you?
A. Not five.
Q. How many?
A. Close but not five.
Q. Close.
MR. LOCK: No further questions. (Tr. 44)
* ⅜! ⅜ JjC ⅜!
Q. Isn’t it true, Cindy, that you told them on the telephone that this didn’t happen, that you were telling it just so you could get free and go off with this boy?
A. No, sir, it isn’t.
Q. Isn’t it true that you even told your own sister that?
A. No, it isn’t.
Q. You did have a conversation though with your sister, Lorita, didn’t you?
A. Yes. (Tr. 57).
Further, in his closing argument the defense attorney was allowed wide latitude as he stated: “... [Ejverytime she gets into some kind of trouble she accuses somebody of rape, she says she’s pregnant by somebody .... ” (Tr. 73). “Later on here she is, she has run away from home with a 24 year old boy, the police are out looking for her, she gets caught, she is brought back home and what’s the next thing that happened, Bennie Woods get accused of sleeping with her two years later or a year later.” (Tr. 74 & 75).
It thus appears to me that counsel for the defense was given ample opportunity to question the witness on issues bearing on her motive for testifying, and arguing them to the jury in his closing argument. I would affirm the conviction.
BRETT, P.J., concurs.
BUSSEY, J., dissents.