Court Opinion

ID: 9716835
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 06:52:13.296369+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:49.351247
License: Public Domain

Nolan, J.
(dissenting, with whom Lynch, J., joins). What is so unreasonable about permitting the Commonwealth to confront the witness with prior contradictory statements to impeach credibility though such statements may not be introduced by the Commonwealth in its case-in-chief? A witness should not be made comfortable by the knowledge that he can say what he wants under oath regardless of its falsity without running the risk of impeachment. This is a none too subtle encouragement of perjury.
For this reason and for reasons expressed in Commonwealth v. Blood, 400 Mass. 61, 78-81 (1987) (Nolan, J., dissenting), I dissent.