Court Opinion

ID: 9788500
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 00:55:21.774593+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:11.501251
License: Public Domain

GOLDEN, J.,
dissenting, with whom MACY, J., joins.
I respectfully disagree with the majority opinion's resolution of the issue entitled Testimony Vouching for the Credibility of EM. That issue concerns the testimony of two witnesses, Mike Baden, a child protection investigator for the Department of Family Services, and EM's father.
Under defense counsel's direct examination, Baden testified generally about his investigation of the report of suspected abuse of EM on behalf of his Department, which included interviews of EM and EM's mother. Then, he testified as follows:
Q. Okay. And after you've taken all the notes, after the interview with [mother] and [EM], did you come to a conclusion?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. Okay. And is it common practice in your job to make some determination whether or not the claim of abuse can be substantiated or unsubstantiated?
A. We are required, with any investigation, to enter a finding of substantiated or unsubstantiated.
Q. And can you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what unsubstantiated means?
A. Unsubstantiated means that there was not credible evidence to show that the child was currently in danger.
Q. And at the end of this report entitled "Abuse/Neglect Investigation Interview Notes," what was your conclusion?
A. Abuse was unsubstantiated at that time.
Q. That was because there was unsubstantiated evidence to show that the child was currently in danger, and you indicated that the case would be reopened if law enforcement developed more information.
A. That is correct.
Q. And as an appendage to the abuse interview notes, you prepare a summary as well, correct?
A. That is correct.
Q. Okay. And in that summary, under paragraph four, you're required to put your findings down, correct?
A. That is correct.
Q. Okay. And would you agree with me that there were two subsections under "Worker's Findings," one substantiated and one unsubstantiated, correct?
A. Excuse me. I didn't follow that.
Q. Under paragraph four, there's a place for you if you substantiate-
A. On the form itself?
Q. There's a place for you to substantiate the allegations or to unsubstantiate them.
A. That is correct.
Q. And on that piece of paper, you unsubstantiated the allegations?
A. That is correct.
Q. And you said in that report-it was your reasoning that "the report of the child victim does not by itself constitute sufficient credible evidence."
A. That is what I wrote, yes.
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Q. Then, as part of your duties, Mr. Baden, you prepared what's called a "Notice of Conclusions"; is that correct?
*913A. That is correct.
Q. And that Notice of Conclusions is basically what you, as the investigator, concluded in the case?
A. That's correct.
Q. And you have to prepare that as part of your duties?
A. Yes.
Q. And the Notice of Conclusmns is sent to the family of the child that you're investigating; is that correct?
A. The Notice of Conclusions is to be sent to the family of the-well, the caretakers of the child and to the alleged perpetrator.
Q. And on this-do you recall doing a Notice of Conclusions on February 10, 19987
A. That sounds correct. -
Q. Okay. And on your-in the conclusion on February 10, 1998, you indicated that "The Division had concluded that all allegations of abuse and/or neglect are unsubstantiated," correct?
A. As I recall, that was the box that was checked.
Q. Okay. And under the comments that you made, was it your opinion that the testimony of [EM] by itself did not constitute enough credible evidence to enter David's name into the central registry for sexual offenders?
A. I believe that's what I wrote.
Q. And the conclusions were based on your interviews with [EM] and her mother, correct?
A. Yes, and in light of the rules and regulations governing child abuse.
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Q. Mr. Baden, as part of your duties at the Department of Family Services, you also do what's called a "Routing Slip." Are you familiar with that?
A. Yes, I am.
Q. And that Routing Slip basically indicates the action that the agency had taken and the reason for that action; is that correct?
A. It's more of just an internal memo as to where the case file should go.
Q. Does that stay with the case file?
A. Yes, it does.
Q. It doesn't go out to the 'family or anybody else, correct? -
A. That is correct.
tech ok
Q. I'm handing you what's been marked as Defense Exhibit C. Do you recognize that, sir?
A. This appears to be the Routlng Slip ”chat I attached to the case file.
Q. And it indicates that the actlon that you had taken in this case was unsubstantiated. So at this point in time, the case concerning [EM] is terminated in your office; is that correct?
A. That's correct.
Q. As far as you know, there's been no further developments for law enforcement, right? Let me rephrase that.
As far as you know, to date, there has been no further developments by law enforcement which would make you "reopen the case?
A. There has been, and that would be this action here today.
Q. So the case is open today, as far as you're concerned?
A. No. This is a tough one to explain. The outcome of this could cause the case to be reopened.
Q. Okay
On cross-examination, the prosecutor elicited Mr. Baden's further testimony in this way:
Q. Okay. [Defense counsel] also asked you what "not substantiated" meant, and you indicated "child currently not in danger"; is that correct?
A. That is correct.
Q. What is your primary concern when being a Child Protection Investigator?
A. To assess the safety of the child in question.
*914Q. And is that what you were doing when you investigated this case and rendered your "not substantiated" indication?
A. That is correct.
Q. Now, not substantiated, meaning child not currently in danger-does that mean that the abuse did not occur?
A. - No, it does not mean that.
Q. So what's your primary concern when you are trying to substantiate or not substantiate an investigation?
A. My job is to assess the risk to the child.
Q. To assess the risk. Okay. And did you do that in regard to the Metzger family in this case?
A. Yes, I did.
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Q. That last thing that [defense counsel] went over with you is the report that there was insufficient credible evidence to substantiate the report. And you concluded that, did you not, Mr. Baden?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. Does that mean that you didn't believe [EM] when you talked to her on January 8th?
[Defense counsel}: I'm going to object to that. He can't testify to the witness's credibility.
The Court: I think it goes more to his conclusion and his belief, as it would affect that conclusion.
So I would admonish the jury that witnesses generally can't comment on the truth or believability of other witnesses. But I'll allow it for the limited purpose of reflecting what his conclusion was and how that may have fit in.
I'll overrule. You may answer.
Q. [By prosecutor} What was your conclusion, as part of your investigation, in speaking with Pat Carr and speaking with [EM]?
A. I believe that [EM] herself was a good witness and appeared to be testifying truthfully.
Q. And what you were saying is that you needed more than just her statement to substantiate the report?
A. By our rules and regulations, yes.
The majority holds that the trial court's ruling, over defense counsel's objection, allowing Mr. Baden's opinion that EM "was a good witness and appeared to be testifying truthfully" to be placed before the jury was not reversible error under Whiteplume. The rationale is that defense counsel "used a witness with expertise to create a factual suggestion that the witness did not believe EM, i.e., that her testimony was not 'credible;'" and that the "open door" doctrine applies. I think that rationale is incorrect. Defense counsel did not use Mr. Baden as an expert and did not offer him as a witness with expertise; he was offered simply as an administrative agency's fact investigator. Moreover, defense counsel did not, in my view of the testimony, use Mr. Baden to suggest that EM was not credible. To the contrary, defense counsel carefully questioned Mr. Baden about the meaning of "unsubstantiated" as used in his report and about Mr. Baden's conclusion that EM's statement, by itself, did not constitute sufficient credible evidence to enter the accused's name into the sex offenders central registry. I do not find that defense counsel "opened the door" to permit the jury to hear Mr. Baden's opinion that EM "was a good witness and appeared to be testifying truthfully." Limits exist to the open-door rule, especially when unfairly prejudicial testimony is involved. Gayler v. State, 957 P.2d 855, 859 (Wyo.1998). "We ... will not allow a prosecutor to engage in overkill which is only moderately justified by the defendant's opening of the door to a certain subject." Id. Mr. Baden's opinion invades the fact-finding province of the jury and is reversible error.
With respect to the testimony of the other witness, EM's father, the prosecutor on direct examination elicited by a direct question the father's opinion that he believed EM was telling him the truth. Although the majority concludes that this question and answer violated a clear and unequivocal rule of law in a clear and obvious way, it also concludes that the error did not affect a substantial right. I *915disagree and rely on my dissenting views on this point expressed in Newport v. State, 983 P.2d 1213, 1220-21 (Wyo.1999).