DEFENSE OPENED THE DOOR TO ALLOW EVIDENCE OF OTHERWISE INADMISSIBLE TESTIMONIAL HEARSAY STATEMENTS MADE TO A POLICE INVESTIGATOR
The Third Department determined testimonial statements made by a co-defendant, Denno, to a police investigator were properly allowed in evidence because the defense “opened the door” by questioning the investigator about one of the statements:
Although testimonial statements by a nontestifying witness are inadmissible as violative of the Confrontation Clause, “a defendant can open the door to the admission of evidence otherwise barred by the Confrontation Clause” … . Denno, a witness to and participant in the crimes, gave three statements to the investigator, and Denno invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify at defendant’s trial. Defendant called the investigator as a witness to elicit information about Denno’s second statement, which was favorable to defendant. This opened the door for the People to cross-examine the investigator about the content of the two other Denno statements, which provided context and were less favorable to defendant. People v Taylor, 2015 NY Slip Op 08873, 3rd Dept 12-3-15
CRIMINAL LAW (TESTIMONIAL HEARSAY STATEMENTS PROPERLY ADMITTED, DEFENDANT OPENED THE DOOR)/EVIDENCE (TESTIMONIAL HEARSAY STATEMENTS PROPERLY ADMITTED, DEFENDANT OPENED THE DOOR)/TESTIMONIAL HEARSAY STATEMENTS (PROPERLY ADMITTED, DEFENDANT OPENED THE DOOR)