Opinion ID: 1636806
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admissibility of Cash Register Receipts Seized from Appellant's Residence

Text: The Appellant argues that the trial court erred in admitting into evidence cash register receipts seized from the Appellant's residence that were not properly authenticated pursuant to Tenn. R. Evid. 901. Specifically, he contests the authentication of the receipts because the prosecution failed to call as witnesses representatives of the respective businesses to testify as to the legitimacy and accuracy of the receipts. The prosecution, through the testimony of Detective Postiglione, introduced three cash register receipts seized from the Appellant's residence: (1) a Wal-Mart receipt in the amount of $78.34, dated February 17, 1997; (2) a Wal-Mart receipt dated the same day in the amount of $69.29; and (3) a receipt from Jumbo Sports dated February 18, 1997, for $97.41. The purpose for the introduction of these receipts was to show that the Appellant had spent a large amount of money in a short period of time after the murders despite the fact that he was in dire financial trouble at the time. At trial, defense counsel objected to the introduction of the receipts, arguing that the receipts had not been properly authenticated. The trial court overruled the objection and found the cash register receipts admissible. Upon reviewing this issue, we agree that the receipts were admissible. Rule 901(a) of the Tennessee Rules of Evidence provides that [t]he requirement of authentication ... is satisfied by evidence sufficient to the court to support a finding by the trier of fact that the matter in question is what its proponent claims. Notwithstanding, Rule 902(7) states that extrinsic evidence of authenticity is not required as a condition precedent to admissibility when the item or items sought to be admitted are [i]nscriptions, signs, tags, or labels purporting to have been affixed in the course of business and indicating ownership, control or origin. In the present case, two of the receipts were from Wal-Mart and one receipt was from Jumbo Sports. All three receipts were in printed form, bearing the retailer's name, address, and other relevant information. This printed material constitutes an inscription for purposes of satisfying Rule 902(7). See, e.g., United States v. Hing Shair Chan, 680 F.Supp. 521, 526 (E.D.N.Y.1988) (a hotel record on hotel stationary was held to be self-authenticating); State v. DeLeon, No. CA 17574, 2000 WL 646502 (Ohio App.2d May 19, 2000) (bill of sale for automobile bearing dealer's name and address held to be self-authenticating); Neil P. Cohen, et. al., Tennessee Law of Evidence §§ 9.02[9] (4th ed. 2000). Thus, the cash register receipts were self-authenticating and properly admitted at trial. This issue is without merit.