Court Opinion

ID: 9794576
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 03:08:08.947029+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:17:59.543802
License: Public Domain

GORDON, Vice Chief Justice
(concurring in part and dissenting in part):
I agree with the majority’s discussion of Rule 801(d)(1)(B) Ariz.R.Evid. and the requirement that in order to be admissible to rebut an express or implied charge of recent fabrication or improper influence or motive, prior consistent statements must be made by a witness prior to the time that a motive to fabricate or the existence of bias arose. I disagree, however, with the Court’s conclusion that the record in this case is not sufficient for a determination as to when the motive to fabricate arose.
The victim met the defendant in 1978 when her mother started dating him. She testified that she liked her mother before she started going out with Martin, but that after they began dating her mother started treating her differently. The victim also stated that she resented the defendant because of the changes in her mother’s behavior and that she never liked the defendant.
The prior consistent statements were offered to rebut the inference that the victim made up the story because the victim did not like Martin since her relationship with her mother changed after she began dating him. Taken together, the record indicates that the victim disliked the defendant' at the time she met him or soon thereafter. The victim’s testimony indicates that she had a variety of reasons which may have provided a motive to fabricate. I therefore agree with the Court of Appeals that the victim’s bias or motive to fabricate arose at or prior to the time that the defendant married the victim’s mother in June, 1979. Therefore, since the victim’s statements to the teacher, the detective, the pediatrician, the psychologist, and the policeman took place after June, 1979, I would conclude that none of these individuals should have been permitted to testify pursuant to Rule 801(d)(1)(B) Ariz.R.Evid.