Evidence – Cross-examination

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U.S. Court of Appeals  For the Seventh Circuit

Criminal

Evidence – Cross-examination

By testifying on direct examination about his heroin purchasing habits and the motives for his purchases, the defendant opened himself up for cross-examination as to those topics.

“According to the government, Bozovich had admitted in his statement to DEA agents to buying heroin from several suppliers, buying heroin in quantities much larger than $100 a day, and brokering drug deals among his associates. On cross-examination Bozovich accused the agents of lying about some aspects of his statement, but the accuracy of different versions of events is for the jury to decide. It is enough to withstand scrutiny under Rule 611(b) that the district judge could reasonably treat these subjects as ‘matters reasonably related to the subject matter of direct examination.’ Id. at 388.”   Affirmed.

14-1435 U.S. v. Bozovich

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Lozano, J., Hamilton, J.

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