Opinion ID: 482573
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gomez' appeal

Text: 9 The court allowed several Government witnesses--including Stanley Tucker, Terry Smith and Greg Clark--to testify that David Bradshaw had identified defendant Gomez as his supplier of cocaine. On appeal, Gomez argues that these rulings were erroneous because: (1) the court did not make a finding at the close of all the evidence regarding the sufficiency of the foundation under the coconspirator exception; (2) there was insufficient independent evidence to connect Gomez to the conspiracy; (3) the out-of-court statements were not in furtherance of the conspiracy; and (4) admission of the evidence violated Gomez' Sixth Amendment right of confrontation.
10 Necessity of findings at the close of all the evidence 11 As noted, the court conducted a pretrial hearing to determine whether David Bradshaw's out-of-court declarations were admissible under Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). At the conclusion of that hearing, the court held that the statements were admissible, finding that the Government had presented substantial independent evidence that a conspiracy existed in which Bradshaw and Gomez were members. After the Government had presented all of its evidence at trial, defendant Gomez moved for a judgment of acquittal and renew[ed] all previous motions previously noted. The court overruled the motion and reaffirmed its earlier ruling that Bradshaw's out-of-court declarations were admissible under Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). 2 Subsequently, after the defense rested, Gomez' counsel stated: I would again move for a judgment of acquittal pursuant to Rule 29, and renew all my prior motions. That motion was also overruled. In this appeal, Gomez argues that the court erred in failing to make a finding, based on a preponderance of the evidence standard, regarding each of the three elements enunciated in Petersen. 12 The trial court must make the required findings regarding the three elements of Rule 801(d)(2)(E) if the defendant objects on hearsay grounds. See United States v. Alfonso, 738 F.2d 369, 371 (10th Cir.1984) (per curiam). Here the district court made extensive findings with respect to each of the three elements of Rule 801(d)(2)(E) before admitting Bradshaw's out-of-court statements. Nonetheless, Gomez points out that the court did not explicitly apply the preponderance of the evidence standard at the close of all the evidence. As we said in Petersen, however, such a procedure is necessary only if the defendant makes an appropriate motion. 611 F.2d at 1330-31; see also United States v. Rivera, 778 F.2d 591, 596 (10th Cir.1985), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 1384, 89 L.Ed.2d 609 (1986). While the defendant need not specifically ask for such findings, he must at least alert the court to the fact that he is objecting on hearsay grounds. See United States v. Monaco, 700 F.2d 577, 581 n. 3 (10th Cir.1983). In this case defense counsel did no more than move for a judgment of acquittal and renew all of his previous objections made during the course of this four-day trial. We do not think that such an objection is sufficiently specific to alert the court to the need for additional findings pursuant to Petersen. See United States v. Bulman, 667 F.2d 1374 & n. 7 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 1010, 102 S.Ct. 2305, 73 L.Ed.2d 1307 (1982); see also Fed.R.Evid. 103(a)(1). 13 We hold that the court did not commit reversible error in admitting Bradshaw's out-of-court declarations without making additional findings on the record, at the close of the testimony, based on a preponderance of the evidence standard.
14 Sufficiency of the evidence regarding Gomez' connection to 15 the conspiracy 16 Gomez also argues that the Government did not present sufficient independent evidence to connect him to the conspiracy. We disagree and hold that the court's ruling under Rule 801(d)(2)(E) was supported by a preponderance of the evidence. 17 First, several Government witnesses testified that they had seen Gomez selling cocaine to Bradshaw and Miller. Terry Smith testified that he and Leon Miller met Gomez at a Miami shopping center in August 1982. When Gomez arrived Miller gave him a suitcase. Gomez then entered Smith's automobile and directed him to an apartment complex. When they arrived Gomez disappeared with the suitcase. A few minutes later someone returned and placed the same suitcase in the back of the car. Smith then drove his wife and Leon Miller to Oklahoma. Greg Clark also saw Gomez in Miami. Clark testified that he had met Bradshaw and Miller at a Miami hotel in order to buy one kilogram of cocaine. Bradshaw made some phone calls and waited for Gomez to arrive. Eventually Gomez arrived and Bradshaw handed him a shopping bag containing approximately $100,000 in cash. Gomez put the bag in the trunk and he and Bradshaw entered the car and drove away. Bradshaw was gone approximately one to two hours. Bradshaw then met Clark at the hotel and handed him the shopping bag, which now contained approximately five kilograms of cocaine. Clark took one kilogram of cocaine and left. 3 18 Second, Gomez himself made inculpatory remarks which were properly introduced as admissions of a party-opponent. Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(A); see United States v. Busch, 758 F.2d 1394, 1396-97 (10th Cir.1985). The first such statement was made to Terry Smith. Smith accompanied Bradshaw to Miami in the summer of 1982. Shortly after their arrival, Bradshaw left with Eduardo and Carlos, two relatives of Gomez. While they were gone, Gomez came to speak with Bradshaw and waited for approximately one hour before leaving. During that time Smith commented that they were in a pretty open business there in Florida. Gomez replied that they took care of their problems before they became problems. There was also evidence that Gomez had threatened Greg Clark in a telephone conversation in late October of 1982. At that time Clark owed Bradshaw a large sum for previous cocaine purchases. Bradshaw said that Jerry wanted to speak to Clark about the debt and he then dialed a long-distance number. The person on the other end spoke with a Spanish accent, and said that this was a real serious deal and that [Clark had] better meet [his] obligations, he could have any number of people shoot [Clark] for a hundred dollars whenever he wanted it done, that [Clark had] better pay [his] bill and do it fast. 4 19 Finally, there was abundant circumstantial evidence connecting Gomez to the conspiracy. Tulsa police found notations to Gomez' phone numbers, which were encoded, during searches of two alleged coconspirators, Rusty Hall and David Bradshaw. Telephone toll and pen register records showed a number of calls between Bradshaw and Gomez. 5 Furthermore, Rusty Hall and David Bradshaw were found with approximately six pounds of cocaine within one month of a series of phone calls between themselves and Gomez. 20 We hold that the court's finding that Gomez was a member of the conspiracy for purposes of Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E) was supported by a preponderance of the evidence presented at trial.
21 In furtherance of the conspiracy 22 Gomez also contends that Bradshaw's out-of-court declarations were not made in furtherance of the conspiracy, as required under Rule 801(d)(2)(E). As noted, Bradshaw's out-of-court statements consisted of his telling various coconspirators that his source of cocaine was Jerry Gomez. Gomez contends that these statements were not designed to assure the listeners' continued participation for they already knew that Bradshaw had a reliable source of cocaine. We disagree. 23 Statements between coconspirators which provide reassurance, which serve to maintain trust and cohesiveness among them, or which inform each other of the current status of the conspiracy, further the ends of the conspiracy and are admissible so long as the other requirements of Rule 801(d)(2)(E) are met. United States v. Ammar, 714 F.2d 238, 252 (3d Cir.1983). While Bradshaw's statements might have been unnecessary, at least in the technical sense urged by Gomez, 6 that information was nonetheless useful to allay the coconspirators' possible suspicions regarding the continued availability of cocaine. See United States v. Echeverry, 759 F.2d 1451, 1457 (9th Cir.1985). Thus Bradshaw's statements identifying Gomez as his supplier were in furtherance of the conspiracy and admissible under Rule 801(d)(2)(E). See United States v. Crocker, 788 F.2d 802, 805 (1st Cir.1986).
Sixth Amendment right of confrontation 24 Finally, Gomez argues that the admission in evidence of Bradshaw's out-of-court statements violated his Sixth Amendment right of confrontation. We note initially, however, that Gomez did not raise this objection at trial and that ordinarily a party may not present a Confrontation Clause objection for the first time on appeal. E.g., United States v. Shepherd, 739 F.2d 510, 514 (10th Cir.1984). In any event, the ruling does not amount to plain error. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b); Fed.R.Evid. 103(d). 25 The Confrontation Clause and the hearsay rules have not been equated. Thus testimony which might not contravene the hearsay rule because of an exception, such as the coconspirator exception in Rule 801(d)(2)(E), can still run afoul of the Sixth Amendment. United States v. Roberts, 583 F.2d 1173, 1176 (10th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1080, 99 S.Ct. 862, 59 L.Ed.2d 49 (1979). When the declarant is not produced at trial, as in this case, his statements are admissible only if they bear adequate indicia of reliability. Ohio v. Roberts, 448 U.S. 56, 65-66, 100 S.Ct. 2531, 2538-39, 65 L.Ed.2d 597 (1980); 7 see Dutton v. Evans, 400 U.S. 74, 89, 91 S.Ct. 210, 219, 27 L.Ed.2d 213 (1970) (plurality opin.). Here, several such indicia of reliability are present. First, Bradshaw was in a position to have personal knowledge of his supplier's identity. Second, the possibility that Bradshaw's statements were founded on faulty recollection is extremely remote. Finally, the statements tend to incriminate Bradshaw so they can be said to be against his penal interest. 8 See United States v. Alfonso, 738 F.2d 369, 372 (10th Cir.1984) (per curiam); United States v. McManaman, 606 F.2d 919, 927 n. 11 (10th Cir.1979). 26 In sum, we hold that the admission in evidence of Bradshaw's out-of-court statements did not violate Gomez' Sixth Amendment right of confrontation. 9