Court Opinion

ID: 9847133
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:54:34.820825+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:01.610000
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent with respect to Division 1. The curtailment of cross-examination of the victim-witness about his current incarceration, which cross-examination was sought to unearth any motive of self-interest which might skew the manner of the witness’ testimony, violated the Sixth Amendment. The situation here is similar to that which was presented in Hines v. State, 249 Ga. 257, 258 (2) (290 SE2d 911) (1982). Defendant sought to undermine the witness’ credibility by showing a bias to gain favor with the State because of his current predicament. He was not to be limited in this effort by proof of a prior conviction which, it is true, would have been a general attack on his credibility. Id.
The majority views the positions taken by each party and the court’s ruling too narrowly. Two subjects were at issue at the beginning of the trial.
Defense counsel noted that she had asked the State earlier for ■copies of criminal records of witnesses including defendant and that she had learned that Patman was incarcerated and had a criminal record with involvement in drugs. The court asked if the State had anything impeaching, to which the State complained that it had only recently received the defendant’s motion to compel the criminal records and was not obligated to seek out criminal history of witnesses, correctly relying on Hines, supra at 258 (1).
The district attorney also stated that he had learned that Pat-man was in jail on a drug charge. He moved in limine “that defense counsel be permitted to impeach Mr. Patman only through the authorized methods of impeachment, and as far as a criminal history is concerned, that would be a certified copy of a felony conviction, that she be not allowed to inquire into his custody at this time, either in the Gwinnett County Jail or Fulton County Jail, or that drug arrest.” The court ruled that the State was not compelled to obtain and provide criminal history, and that only a certified copy of conviction could be used to impeach a witness. It granted the motion in limine, precluding evidence that Patman had been arrested and was in jail because it was “not relevant.” It explained that only certified copies of convictions could “impeach his credibility.”
*773Decided February 7, 1990
Rehearing denied March 8, 1990
Lenzer & Lenzer, Robert W. Lenzer, Mary A. Sheppard, for appellant.
Thomas C. Lawler III, District Attorney, Scott A. Smeal, Debra K. Turner, Assistant District Attorneys, for appellee.
When defense counsel cross-examined Patman as to where he currently lived, the State’s objection was sustained. When he was recalled, the court cautioned defense counsel not to elicit evidence that he was in jail or that he was in custody on a drug charge.
Thus, the court cut off the inquiry which might have shown that the witness was “shading his testimony in an effort to please the prosecution.” Hines, supra at 260 (2). As distinguished in Hines, this was unrelated to the use of a prior conviction as a general attack on credibility and was an effort to launch “a more particular attack” by the showing of partiality. In addition to the Sixth Amendment’s contravention, OCGA § 24-9-64’s “right of a thorough and sifting cross-examination” was violated, as appellant points out.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Deen and Presiding Judge Banke join in this dissent.