context: . While, guilty pleas of a co-defendant cannot be used to establish the guilt of the defendant on trial, we are cognizant that the Commonwealth is permitted to bring out the circumstances surrounding a witness' agreement on direct examination in order to avoid any inference by the jury that the Commonwealth is attempting to keep a possible bias from them.
citation_a.signal: no signal
citation_a.identifier: 424 Pa.Super. 29, 34
citation_a.parenthetical: Commonwealth agreements should be fully, fairly and honestly disclosed at trial because they have a significant bearing on a witness' motive for testifying
citation_a.sentence: Commonwealth v. Hartey, 424 Pa.Super. 29, 34, 621 A.2d 1023, 1026 (1993), appeal denied, 540 Pa. 611, 656 A.2d 117 (1994) (Commonwealth agreements should be fully, fairly and honestly disclosed at trial because they have a significant bearing on a witness' motive for testifying).
citation_b.signal: see
citation_b.identifier: 252 A.2d 661, 662
citation_b.parenthetical: where a witness is under indictment for the same crime for which the defendant is being tried, evidence of witness' indictment is relevant as bearing on the witness's interest in the immediate matter
citation_b.sentence: See Commonwealth v. Ross, 434 Pa. 167, 170, 252 A.2d 661, 662 (1969) (where a witness is under indictment for the same crime for which the defendant is being tried, evidence of witness’ indictment is relevant as bearing on the witness’s interest in the immediate matter); Commonwealth v. Coades, 454 Pa. 448, 452 311 A.2d 896, 898 (1973) (a witness who is under indictment for the same crime involved in a case in which he is testifying may be cross-examined about that indictment in order to allow the jury to evaluate whether witness testified for prosecution to gain favorable treatment in his own case).