Wright v. State

466 P.2d 1014, 1970 Wyo. LEXIS 160
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedApril 1, 1970
Docket3803
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 466 P.2d 1014 (Wright v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wright v. State, 466 P.2d 1014, 1970 Wyo. LEXIS 160 (Wyo. 1970).

Opinions

Mr. Justice McINTYRE

delivered the opinion of the court.

Jerry Wayne Wright was convicted of the possession and sale, on November 17, 1968, of marijuana. On appeal from the judgment and sentence against him, he assigns two grounds of reversible error, namely:

1. The trial court erred in allowing the state to cross-examine defendant, over - defense counsel’s objection, with respect to an arrest on a separate charge.
2. Certain testimony on rebuttal went beyond the scope of rebuttal evidence and had a harmful effect on the jury.

A careful review of the record convinces us prejudicial error did not occur where defendant claims it did. We will explain why.

Concerning Arrest

Appellant admits in his brief the state was alleging defendant, Wright, and Jim Harvey went to the house of Richard Wordeman on the evening of November 17, 1968. According to the State’s evidence, Wright, Harvey, Wordeman, and Worde-man’s wife sat around at the Wordeman [1015]*1015home smoking marijuana cigarettes; Wordeman asked Wright if he could have a cigarette for later in the evening and Wright consented; after Wright and Harvey left, Wordeman took the cigarette to the police.

Defendant-Wright testified on direct examination to the day’s events and to the things he did November 17, 1968. None of the events previously testified to by Worde-man were mentioned. In fact, Wright denied he saw Wordeman that day; he denied going to Wordeman’s house that day; and he denied he had marijuana in his possession November 17, 1968.

The last question asked of the defendant on direct examination was how he knew all of the events he talked about occurred November 17, 1968. Before he could answer, his attorney explained, “Of course, this is of utmost importance.” Wright then testified to his reasons for being sure his relating of events for November 17, 1968 were correct.

The prosecution was aware that Wright was at Wordeman’s home November 23, 1968. As a matter of fact, the only date on which Wright would admit to having contact with Wordeman, except at Wright’s service station, was November 23, 1968.

The prosecution commenced its cross-examination of defendant-Wright, not only with knowledge that Wright was at Worde-man’s home November 23, but also with an emphatic denial by defendant that he had any contact with Wordeman November 17. The transcript of testimony reflects the following at this point:

“Q. Mr. Wright, you are very sure about this particular day? Do you remember what you were doing November 23rd? A. I do.
“Q. Did you see Mr. Wordeman November 23rd? A. Yes I did.
“Q. What were you doing at that time ? “MR. HANES : Your Honor. I object. THE COURT: Overruled.
“MR. HANES: May I approach the Bench? THE COURT: Yes.
“(Whereupon, the following proceedings were had out of the presence of the jury:)
“MR. HANES: He is also facing charges that occurred then and I think we are getting into some areas would be improper questioning under our Fifth amendment and Article 1, Section 11, of the Wyoming constitution. THE COURT: I think he is just testing his memory here and he has a right to do it.
“MR. HANES: This is going to be getting into events pertaining to this other situation. THE COURT: Maybe and maybe not but he isn’t now. Overruled. “(Whereupon, the following proceedings were had in the presence of the jury:) “(Question read)
“A. You want what I did all day long? “Q. I would like to know if you contacted Mr. Wordeman? A. I was at Mr. Wordeman’s house that evening to work on a car he was building.
“Q. Did anything else happen? A. Yes.
“Q. What? A. Several things happened.
“Q. Did anything happen with marijuana that evening? A. Yes. I was there when the police came to his home and arrested several people including myself.
“Q. For possessing marijuana? A. Right.
“Q. How many times during this period of September to the time you were arrested, January 23rd, did you have contact with Mr. Wordeman? A. He traded at my station occasionally and hard for me to say how many times.
“Q. Away from your station approximately how many times ? A. Just once I know of.
“Q. You were arrested at that time. Is that when you were given a polygraph test ? A. No.
“Q. What day was that you were arrested? A. On what charge?
[1016]*1016“Q. On the narcotic charge we were just talking about? A. On 23rd?
“Q. Yes. A. That was on the 23rd.
“Q. Did you have marijuana in your possession that day ? A. No, I didn’t.”

• On behalf of defendant it is argued, proper cross-examination may go to any fact in issue or to the credibility of a witness; but since the prior arrest of defendant on another charge was not in issue, and since a mere arrest without more cannot be used to attack credibility, it was error to allow the line of questioning set out above. Eads v. State, 17 Wyo. 490, 101 P. 946, 950; and Rosencrance v. State, 33 Wyo. 360, 239 P. 952, 956, are relied upon as authority for such argument.

We realize mere charges, accusations, and arrests are consistent with innocence; and they should not he inquired into if the purpose of the prosecution is to discredit the witness in the eyes of the jury and convey to the jury knowledge that such witness was charged with a crime. That is not to say, however, that the prosecution in this case has done what stands condemned in Eads and Rosencrance.

This prompts us to look at the exact question objected to on behalf of defendant. The county attorney first asked: “Mr. Wright, you are very sure about this particular day? Do you remember what you were doing November 23rd? ” Then, after the witness admitted seeing Wordeman November 23, he was asked the critical question : “What were you doing at that time ? ”

We can scarcely imagine a more appropriate question to test the memory of the witness, if the prosecution believed defendant was. confused about what happened on November 17 and what happened on November 23; and there was reason for the prosecution so to believe. In any event, it must be observed there was nothing improper about the question which was asked. It did not inquire about an arrest.

The trial court indicated in its ruling that counsel for the state had a right to test the memory of the witness. It is indeed permissible on cross-examination to ask questions designed to test the soundness of a witness’ testimony and the accuracy of his memory. Valdez v. Glenn, 79 Wyo. 53, 330 P.2d 309, 311, rehearing denied 332 P.2d 1119; Sanders v. Sitton, 179 Kan. 118, 292 P.2d 1099, 1102.

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Wright v. State
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Bluebook (online)
466 P.2d 1014, 1970 Wyo. LEXIS 160, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wright-v-state-wyo-1970.