People v. Williams

289 N.W.2d 863, 95 Mich. App. 1, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2425
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 22, 1980
DocketDocket 78-1441, 78-1808, 78-1972, 78-2168
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 289 N.W.2d 863 (People v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Williams, 289 N.W.2d 863, 95 Mich. App. 1, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2425 (Mich. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinions

N. J. Kaufman, P.J.

We agree with and adopt the statement of facts presented in the dissenting opinion. However, we note that the dissenting opinion declines to discuss the constitutional implications in this case arising out of the defendants’ failure to abide by the notice requirements of the restrictive evidence provision of the criminal sexual conduct statute, MCL 750.520j(2); MSA 28.788(10)(2). We find such a discussion to be called for. This opinion, then, reflects the view that that portion of the restrictive evidence provision, which requires notice and an evidentiary hearing before admission of evidence of specific instances of sexual conduct between a complainant and a defendant, violates a defendant’s sixth amendment rights to confrontation and cross-examination.

Although prior decisions of this Court have upheld the constitutionality of this restrictive evi[6]*6dence provision in the face of challenges that the preclusion of evidence regarding prior instances of a victim’s sexual conduct with third persons denies a defendant his right of confrontation, no case has considered the factual situation presented here. In the instant case, one of the codefendants, who had engaged in prior sexual conduct with the complainant, sought to admit this evidence to show the complainant’s consent. This attempt served to no avail because of the defendants’ failure to abide by the statutory notice provisions. In point of fact, because of such improper notice, the trial court declined to conduct an in camera hearing to weigh the probative value of this evidence against its prejudicial nature.

A litany of cases is cited in the dissenting opinion. It becomes necessary to re-analyze the propositions raised in these opinions and place them in their proper perspective.

In People v Thompson, 76 Mich App 705; 257 NW2d 268 (1977), lv den 402 Mich 829 (1977), the defendant therein sought reversal of his first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction. On appeal, that defendant argued that the trial court’s prohibition against questioning the victim about her sexual activities with third persons, prior to the alleged rape, violated his sixth amendment rights to confront and cross-examine his accuser. That defendant further argued that inquiry into the victim’s sexual background should have been permitted since it was probative to the issue of consent, that defendant’s principal defense. This Court rejected that defendant’s arguments as irrelevant and of minimal evidentiary significance. In so holding, the Court recognized that factual situations do exist in which the victim’s sexual behavior with third persons is arguably probative of [7]*7consent. The victim’s sexual behavior with the actor, as in the instant case, then would be of greater moment.

The majority in People v Dawsey, 76 Mich App 741; 257 NW2d 236 (1977), rejected the argument of the defendant therein that his sixth amendment confrontation right was abridged when the trial court denied him the opportunity of questioning the complainant therein about her previous sexual activities with third persons. The Court held that a defendant is precluded from exploring a complainant’s sexual past in order to attack her veracity. This holding was narrow, however.

The Dawsey Court did not reach the issue of the constitutionality of the statutory provision restricting evidence with respect to opinion or reputation evidence of a complainant’s sexual conduct. Moreover, the Dawsey Court indicated that, had that defendant attempted to produce a witness to testify about that complainant’s reputation for chastity and been denied, serious constitutional questions would have been raised. The Court’s quote from People v McLean, 71 Mich 309, 312; 38 NW 917 (1888), is particularly illuminating considering the facts of the instant case:

" 'Evidence that the prosecutrix is a common prostitute, or that her character for chastity is bad, is admissible, and particular acts of unchastity or sexual intercourse with the Defendant may be shown; but evidence of such acts with a third person is not admissible’.” Dawsey, supra, 752-753.

In the case at bar, the defendants, on the issue of the complainant’s consent, sought to introduce evidence that the complainant was a common prostitute and that she had had previous sexual [8]*8conduct with one of the codefendants. Both attempts were denied by the trial court.

In People v Patterson, 79 Mich App 393; 262 NW2d 835 (1977), the constitutionality of the restrictive evidence provision was upheld in three separate opinions. Judges R. B. Burns and Holbrook summarily rejected that defendant’s sixth amendment confrontation argument. Judge Cavanagh, in a separate concurring opinion which is quite instructive, held that the subject statute was unconstitutional to the extent that it excludes evidence which, if received, might raise in the mind of a juror a reasonable doubt as to a defendant’s guilt. Further, upon a defense counsel’s oifer of proof, a defendant should be entitled to an in camera hearing at which he may conduct, for the court’s consideration, the proposed cross-examination. The trial court must then determine whether this evidence would raise a reasonable doubt in the mind of a juror. This determination would be reviewable under a "clearly erroneous” standard by this Court, Patterson, supra, 413-414.

The evidence which the defendants sought to introduce with respect to the complainant’s prior sexual activity with codefendant Williams could raise a reasonable doubt in the mind of a juror.

In People v Khan, 80 Mich App 605; 264 NW2d 360 (1978), Iv den 402 Mich 903 (1978), this Court again upheld the constitutionality of the evidence limitation provision, finding a complainant’s previous sexual encounters with persons other than a defendant to be logically and legally irrelevant.

It is noteworthy that none of the aforementioned cases dealt with specific instances of prior sexual conduct between a complainant and a defendant, as here. Moreover, language in these cases suggests that their application is narrow in [9]*9scope. Such application should not be extended to encompass the situation herein.

Restrictive evidence provisions are not given such an interpretation in California. In People v Blackburn, 56 Cal App 3d 685, 690; 128 Cal Rptr 864, 866-867 (1976), it was stated:

"The relevance of past sexual conduct of the alleged victim of the rape with persons other than the defendant to the issue of her consent to a particular act of sexual intercourse with the defendant is slight at best.” (Emphasis added.)

The California Evidence Code Section 1103, as amended, contains no provision allowing a trial court, in the exercise of its discretionary powers, to deny evidence of specific instances of prior sexual conduct between a complainant and a defendant.

Furthermore, recently adopted FRE 412 requires the trial court to conduct an evidentiary hearing to consider specific instances of sexual conduct between a complainant and a defendant if the defendant complies with the statutory notice provision. Whereas, in Michigan, upon a defendant’s compliance with the notice provision, the evidentiary hearing is still subject to the discretion of the trial court.

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People v. Williams
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
289 N.W.2d 863, 95 Mich. App. 1, 1980 Mich. App. LEXIS 2425, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-williams-michctapp-1980.