State v. Gallatin

682 P.2d 105, 106 Idaho 564, 1984 Ida. App. LEXIS 460
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 8, 1984
Docket14267
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 682 P.2d 105 (State v. Gallatin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gallatin, 682 P.2d 105, 106 Idaho 564, 1984 Ida. App. LEXIS 460 (Idaho Ct. App. 1984).

Opinions

WALTERS, Chief Judge.

Richard Gallatin was convicted, following jury trial, of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and also of aiding and abetting the delivery of a controlled substance. He received five-year, indeterminate sentences on both convictions, to be served concurrently.

Gallatin appeals, presenting four issues. First, he presents two specific evidentiary issues arising from his trial. They are (a) the propriety of an impeachment of one of the witnesses; and (b) whether it was error for the trial court to allow the use of a writing to refresh the recollection of a witness, when that writing was prepared by someone other than the witness. Next, he contends the evidence adduced at trial was not sufficient to support the verdicts of guilty on either the conspiracy charge or on the charge of aiding and abetting the delivery of a controlled substance. Finally, he claims he received a “double punishment for a single act” in contravention of I.C. § 18-301.

We hold that no error occurred in respect to the impeachment and refreshing recollection issues. We hold that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury’s verdict on the conspiracy charge, and we affirm that conviction. However, we hold that, under the evidence presented at trial, Gallatin could not be convicted both of the conspiracy charge and of aiding and abetting the delivery of a controlled substance, and we reverse the conviction on that latter charge.

I

We turn first to the two evidentiary issues. The first involved the impeachment of a witness, Gregory Smith. Smith was a co-defendant. The trial concerned the involvement of the defendants in the sale of cocaine to an undercover agent. When Smith took the stand in his own behalf, he also gave testimony on behalf of Gallatin.

Smith testified that he, Smith, had no involvement of any kind in the transaction. On cross-examination the prosecutor asked if Smith recalled making a statement to the contrary, i.e. that he was involved with the other defendants. When Smith denied making such statements, the prosecutor inquired whether Smith had told a magistrate, during arraignment on the charges and in respect to the bond set for him, that he, Smith, “had not as much involvement as the rest of [the] co-defendants.” Smith’s response was that he did not recall making such a statement.

After the defense had rested, the prosecutor called, as a witness, the magistrate’s court clerk, who identified a tape recording of Smith’s arraignment before the magistrate. The tape was offered as evidence by [566]*566the prosecutor, to show that “Mr. Smith made an incriminating statement after being advised by the [magistrate] Judge, of his rights.” Defense counsel1 interjected, “I believe this is an impeachment over something that my client hasn’t denied.” The court ruled that Smith’s response to the prosecutor’s inquiry concerning his involvement had been equivocal enough to allow the relevant portion of the tape to be played to the jury. After the jury had heard the tape, the prosecutor offered its admission in evidence. The defense attorney stated he had no objection and the tape was admitted in evidence.

Now, on appeal, Gallatin contends the use of the tape was improper impeachment because Smith had not been “adequately confronted with his so-called prior inconsistent statement.” Questioning the foundation for the use of the tape, Gallatin relies on I.R.C.P. 43(b)(8), relating to the impeachment of witnesses through prior inconsistent statements. That rule provides that, before a witness may be impeached with such statements,

the statements must be related to him, with the circumstances of times, places and persons present, and he must be asked whether he made such statements, and if so, allowed to explain them. If the statements be in writing, they must be shown to the witness____

Gallatin contends this rule was not complied with, arguing that Smith had not been asked whether he had made the alleged inconsistent statement. We disagree. The record shows that the prosecutor specifically asked if he had made the inconsistent statement. It was Smith’s equivocal answer concerning his recollection that precipitated the use of the tape. We hold that the use of the tape under these circumstances was not improper. It clarified the ambiguity of whether Smith had in fact made a statement concerning his involvement in the transaction, useful to the jury in determining the credibility of Smith and the weight to be accorded to his testimony.

Next, Gallatin contests the use by a witness of written notes to refresh his recollection although the writing had not been prepared by that witness. This particular witness was a law enforcement officer who, together with other officers, surveilled the places involved in the drug transaction in question. During his testimony he related times, dates, places and persons he had observed during the surveillance. In the course of his testimony, it became apparent he was relating some information from a written report he had brought with him. On cross-examination he disclosed that he had not prepared the report; it had been compiled by another officer from information gleaned from all of the officers involved in the surveillance. Defense counsel then objected on hearsay grounds and moved that all of the witness’ testimony be stricken. The court overruled the objection and denied the motion. The court ruled that the use of the report was allowable under an exception to the rule against use of hearsay evidence. Although the court did not disclose the particular exception it had in mind, we are not persuaded that the court erred. In United States v. Conley, 503 F.2d 520, 522 (8th Cir.1974), we find:

Appellant urges that the trial court erred in permitting witness Stewart (informant) to refresh his memory concerning a portion of a conversation he had with appellant by referring to government agent Guilbeaux’s report. The propriety of permitting a witness to refresh his memory from a writing prepared by another largely lies within the discretion of the trial court. See United States v. Riccardi, 174 F.2d 883, 888-889 (3rd Cir. 1949); McCormick, Law of Evidence, § 9 pp. 17-18 (2d Ed.1972).

Similarly, in State v. Powers, 100 Idaho 614, 615, 603 P.2d 569, 570 (1979) our Supreme Court said:

Appellant next claims that the magistrate erred in allowing the undercover narcotics agent Rohrbach to refresh his memory from a copy of a report dictated by him, to which certain material had [567]*567been added. We see no clear showing of an abuse of discretion in such a procedure, and therefore do not disturb the magistrate’s probable cause conclusion. [Emphasis added.]

Here the witness specifically disclosed that he used the information in the report to assist him in testifying as to activities that he had personally observed. This comports with an announcement made by our Supreme Court many years ago. The court quoted from Wigmore on Evidence § 758 (1904), as follows:

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State v. Gallatin
682 P.2d 105 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
682 P.2d 105, 106 Idaho 564, 1984 Ida. App. LEXIS 460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gallatin-idahoctapp-1984.