Matthew Peckham v. Rhode Island

Whether the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments permit a state court to bar all cross-examination of a key prosecution witness concerning her own juvenile arrest and case dismissal—evidence directly bearing on bias and motive to fabricate—on the ground that the records are sealed under a state confidentiality statute.

Whether such a categorical denial of bias impeachment can ever be deemed harmless beyond a reasonable doubt under Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18 (1967), when the witness is central to the prosecution’s case and the State’s proof of guilt turns on credibility. PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDINGS Petitioner: Matthew Peckham. Respondent: State of Rhode Island. No corporate parties exist, and no party other than the above appears before this Court. CORPORATE DISCLOSURE Petitioner is an individual. No parent corporation or publicly held company owns any stock or financial interest in this case.