Opinion ID: 790872
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Garrett Water's Hearsay Statements

Text: 19 On appeal, Tyler Water seeks reversal of the admission of Officer Long Soldier's testimony regarding Garrett Water's statements at the scene of the crime. At trial, the district court overruled Tyler Water's objection but did not discuss the application of the excited utterance exception. In response, the government asserts that the excited utterance exception applies and allows admission of Garrett Water's out-of-court statements. We agree. 20 An out-of-court statement made by a witness, but offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted is hearsay. See FED. R. EVID. 801. Hearsay statements are generally inadmissible, however, there are several exceptions to this rule, including one for excited utterances. See FED. R. EVID. 802 and 803(2). The excited utterance hearsay exception recognizes that statements relating to a startling event made while under the stress of excitement caused by the event are likely to be truthful because the stress from the event caused a spontaneous statement that was not the product of reflection and deliberation. See FED. R. EVID. 803(2); see also Reed v. Thalacker, 198 F.3d 1058, 1061 (8th Cir.1999). 21 To determine whether Garrett Water was under the stress of excitement when he made these statements, we consider the lapse of time between the startling event and the statements, whether the statements were made in response to an inquiry, his age, the characteristics of the event, his physical and mental condition, and the subject matter of the statements. United States v. Marrowbone, 211 F.3d 452, 454 (8th Cir.2000) (citing United States v. Moses, 15 F.3d 774, 777-78 (8th Cir.1994)). The government has the burden of demonstrating that the exception is applicable. Id. (citing Reed, 198 F.3d at 1061). We review the district court's evidentiary ruling for abuse of discretion. Id. (citing United States v. Phelps, 168 F.3d 1048, 1054 (8th Cir.1999)). 22 Tyler Water does not dispute that the excited utterance exception applies, but instead argues that we are precluded from evaluating the excited utterance factors on appeal because the trial court failed to do so. In Marrowbone, upon which Tyler Water relies, the trial court also made no specific findings to support the use of the excited utterance exception. Marrowbone, 211 F.3d at 454-55. However, we reviewed the excited utterance factors and ruled that the exception did not apply because the government failed to demonstrate on appeal continuous excitement or stress from the time of the event until the time of the statement. Id. at 455. As a result, we ruled that the district court abused its discretion in admitting the statement. Id. 23 Here, the government met its burden of demonstrating that the excited utterance exception applies. The time between the shooting and when Garrett Water made the statement was less than five minutes. Thus, the likelihood of the statement being a product of reflection and deliberation is low. Moreover, Officer Long Soldier arrived at the Water residence approximately one minute after he was dispatched. Officer Long Soldier immediately went down into the basement of the house where the shooting occurred. Soon thereafter, he encountered Garrett Water, and observed his demeanor as excited, nervous, and fidgety. While Officer Long Soldier observed that Garrett Water was intoxicated, there was nothing in his demeanor or the circumstances to indicate he had a motive to lie. The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the hearsay statements.