[Download] "United States v. Webster" by United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: United States v. Webster
- Author : United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Release Date : January 09, 1984
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 53 KB
Description
POSNER, Circuit Judge. The defendant, Webster, was convicted of aiding and abetting the robbery of a federally insured bank and receiving stolen bank funds, was sentenced to nine years in prison, and appeals. Only one issue need be discussed. The government called the bank robber, King (who had pleaded guilty and been given a long prison term), as a witness against Webster. King gave testimony that if believed would have exculpated the defendant, whereupon the government introduced prior inconsistent statements that King had given the FBI inculpating Webster. Although the court instructed the jury that it could consider the statements only for purposes of impeachment, Webster argues that this was not good enough, that the government should not be allowed to get inadmissible evidence before the jury by calling a hostile witness and then using his out-of-court statements, which would otherwise be inadmissible hearsay, to impeach him.