Ebb v. State

BELL, Judge, dissenting, in which ELDRIDGE, J., joins.

This case requires resolution of a frequently occurring conflict between a trial court’s duty to control trial, including the cross-examination of witnesses, and a jury’s responsibility to judge the credibility of witnesses. The Court of Special Appeals, in an unreported opinion, resolved the conflict in favor of the State. Relying on the court’s right to control the cross-examination of witnesses, the Court of Special Appeals held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when, *592after conducting hearings outside the presence of the…