Opinion ID: 767804
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony as to Threats Made by Bains's Family (Hearsay Evidence).

Text: 43 In the present case, the California Court of Appeal concluded that with theexception of Singh's testimony as to the threats made by Bains that were relayed to her by Bains's sister, the admission of the hearsay evidence of the threats made by Bains's family was an error of constitutional magnitude. The district court seems to have agreed, and we also agree with this assessment. There is no indication that the prosecutor produced any member of Bains's family as a witness at trial. Moreover, as the California Court of Appeal concluded as a matter of state law, and as we find to be correct as a matter of federal law, the statements of Bains's family (with the exception of those made by Bains's sister to Singh) were not made during the course of, and in furtherance of, a conspiracy and were not admissible under the exception to the hearsay rule for statements made by a co-conspirator. See, e.g., Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171, 183 (1987). Thus, under clearly established federal law, we hold that the admission of such hearsay evidence clearly violated Bains's Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against him. See, e.g., id. 44