Bradford v. State
Court of Appeals of Alabama
90 So.2d 96 (1956)

- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
The State of Alabama (plaintiff) prosecuted Ralph Dean Bradford (defendant) for murder. Four trial witnesses claimed to have witnessed the incident. Of the four, only David Earl Trammell testified that Bradford acted in self-defense, a claim that directly contradicted the three other witnesses' testimony. On cross examination, Trammell admitted that when law officer Troy Tate interviewed him before the trial, Trammell denied witnessing the incident. The judge excluded Trammell's explanation, on redirect examination, that he denied witnessing the incident because he feared Tate. The jury convicted Bradford. On appeal to the Court of Appeals of Alabama, Bradford argued it was error to exclude Trammell's explanation for why he denied witnessing the incident.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Bone, J.)
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