Court Opinion

ID: 9711933
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:42:26.602542+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:08.478865
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice,
Dissenting.
After having been arrested for another robbery, Day, a convicted perjurer, confessed to several crimes, including the robbery of Kern's Keg, and voluntarily identified appellant Fox as the co-perpetrator. Later, Day struck a plea bargain, agreeing to testify against appellant Fox. In my view Day was in the process of seeking benefit with prosecuting authorities when he went so far at the time of his confession as to identify appellant Fox. Day was certainly motivated by more than a need to get it "off his chest." He most certainly was trying to curry favor with authorities. Thus his motive to falsify would have been present when he gave the audio tape and video tape confession. The later plea agreement was no more than the full fruit of Day's plan. The motive of Day to falsify or exaggerate so as to incriminate appellant Fox would have existed at the time the tapes were made while under arrest, at the *433time of the making of the plea bargain, and at the time of Day's trial testimony. Therefore the consistency of Day's taped statements with his trial testimony does not serve as rebuttal to the claim made by appellant during his cross-examination of Day that he was testifying in a false or exaggerated manner so as to gain a benefit for himself with prosecuting authorities. McCormick on Evidence pp. 115-120 (3rd ed. 1984).
The conviction of appellant rests upon the testimony of Day. The prosecution gained a very real advantage when it was permitted to bolster Day's credibility by running the tapes for the jury. This was an advantage to which the prosecution was not entitled. It was error to permit the jury to view these tapes. I would reverse and remand for a new trial.