On Point blog, page 1 of 1
Witness – Impeachment (Hearsay Statement) — Bias: Gang Affiliation
State v. Roberto Vargas Rodriguez, 2006 WI App 163, PFR filed 8/28/06
For Rodriguez: Donna L. Hintze, SPD, Madison Appellate
Issue/Holding: Where the defendant’s brother testified that the non-testifying complainant had recanted, the prosecution could impeach the brother with the possibility that the complainant was motivated by fear due to the brother’s gang affiliation, ¶31: “A witness’s motive (whether testifying ‘live’ or by admission of his or her out-of-court assertions) is never collateral,
Confrontation – Hearsay – Impeachment as Exception to Crawford / § 908.06 – Admissibility of Hearsay Statement to Attack Credibility of Declarant
State v. Jermaine Smith, 2005 WI App 152, PFR filed
For Smith: Glen B. Kulkoski
Issue: Whether a co-actor’s in-custody pretrial statements were admissible as impeachment on rebuttal after the defense introduced a different hearsay statement by that declarant.
Holding:
¶10 The State’s rebuttal was solely to impeach Nunn’s credibility under the provisions of Wis. Stat. § 908.06 ….
¶11 A defendant who introduces testimony from an unavailable declarant cannot later claim that he was harmed by his inability to cross-examine that declarant when prior inconsistent statements are introduced to impeach an out-of-court statement introduced by the defendant.