Admission of Preliminary Hearing Testimony Held to Violate Defendant's Right to Confrontation

Sometimes there are collateral consequences to restrictive rulings of a local court judge at a preliminary hearing limiting the scope of cross-examination of prosecution witnesses. In People v Harvey, 2008 NY Slip Op 10329 [4th Dept 12/31/08] the Fourth Department reversed defendant's convictions for criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (Penal Law § 265.03 [former (2)]) and reckless endangerment in the first degree (§ 120.25) because

the court erred in admitting in evidence the preliminary hearing testimony of the victim. Although the People demonstrated due diligence in attempting to locate the victim for trial (see People v Arroyo, 54 NY2d 567, 571, cert denied 456 US 979), the court unduly restricted defense counsel's cross-examination of the victim at the preliminary hearing, and thus the admission in evidence of the preliminary hearing testimony deprived defendant of his right of confrontation (see People v Simmons, 36 NY2d 126, 130-131).