Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law

OSJCL Amici Board of Advisors

OSJCL Amici: Views from the Field

Kansas v. Ventris

  • The argument was heard on January 21, 2009.
  • Issue: The issue here is if a defendant makes statement tin the absence of a knowing and voluntary waiver of the right to counsel, whether prosecutors may use the statement to impeach a witness, as opposed to during its case-in-chief.
  • Background: In this case, Ventris and his girlfriend were both accused of murder and robbery and they each blamed the crimes on the other. When Ventris was in prison awaiting trial, he told his cell-mate that he was the one who committed the crimes. At trial, Ventris testified that his girlfriend committed the crimes, and the prosecutor wanted to allow the cell-mate to testify for the purposes of impeaching the defendant.

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