Opinion ID: 2996632
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prejudicial Hearsay

Text: Hernandez-Rivas challenges the admission of two pieces of testimony at trial. In reviewing a district court’s evidentiary ruling, we review for abuse of discretion; further, an error will be reversed only if it had “a substantial influence over the jury.” United States v. Smith, 230 F.3d 300, 307 (7th Cir. 2000). Hernandez-Rivas challenges both pieces of testimony as inadmissible hearsay. The first piece of testimony in question arose when Antonio Gomez, a co-conspirator, testified that he had received cocaine from Carlos Gonzalez. Gomez testified that at one point he asked Gonzalez who was supplying him with cocaine; according to Gomez, Gonzalez replied that he received his cocaine from “Gerardo.” Hernandez-Rivas had objected to this line of questioning, but the trial court admitted the testimony as a statement by co-conspirators in furtherance of a conspiracy. FED. R. EVID. 801(d)(2)(E). Hernandez-Rivas argues that this statement does not fall within Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E) because it was “mere chitchat” and was not done to further the conspiracy. We have previously held, however, that conversations No. 02-4103 7 identifying actors within the conspiracy help to “confirm the lines of command in the organization,” and in that way do, in fact, further the conspiracy. United States v. Pallais, 921 F.2d 684, 688 (7th Cir. 1990). For this reason, Gomez’s testimony was admissible. The other piece of testimony was given by Deputy Kilpin, regarding a conversation that he had had with the driver of the car, Jorge Luna. Kilpin testified that when he asked Luna about the origin of the $10,000 worth of cashier’s checks, Luna replied that he had obtained the checks for Hernandez-Rivas. Hernandez-Rivas objected the admissibility of this testimony, contending that it was hearsay. Reviewing the district court’s decision for clear error, we find that the testimony was indeed inadmissible hearsay. It does not fall under any exception to the hearsay rule. As we stated earlier, when an evidentiary error is made, it will only be reversed if it affected the jury. Smith, 230 F.3d at 307. In determining the effect of the testimony, we will consider: (1) the importance of the witness’s testimony in the prosecution’s case; (2) whether the testimony was cumulative; (3) whether other evidence corroborated or contradicted the witness’s material testimony; and (4) the overall strength of the prosecution’s case. United States v. Ochoa, 229 F.3d 631, 639-40 (7th Cir. 2000). In this situation, the admission of the hearsay was harmless error. The testimony linking Hernandez-Rivas to the cashier’s checks was cumulative. The wiretaps had revealed that Luna was working on behalf of HernandezRivas, and that he had been out that day acquiring the requisite amount of cashier’s checks for him. The checks themselves had Hernandez-Rivas’ name as the remitter. When considered in light of the rest of the government’s case against the defendant, the admission of this testimony did not have “substantial influence over the jury.” 8 No. 02-4103