Opinion ID: 1903773
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court erred in failing to edit the prejudicial remarks of a police officer made after the alleged transaction from a video tape shown to the jury.

Text: ¶ 14. This issue apparently is raised with regard to the following facts: As Lessner left the scene of the transaction, his radio link with Shane Corr and Karl Aderer was still live. When Corr and Aderer drove by the area where the drug deal took place, Corr saw McDowell (who he knew personally) driving away. Corr identified him by name, saying That's going to be Gabriel McDowell, or words to that effect, and that statement was overheard by Lessner and recorded by the surveillance equipment in Lessner's car. McDowell's assignment of error lies in the trial court's refusal to edit out that statement before the tape was played to the jury. His reasoning appears to be that the tape recorded statement was overly prejudicial and was also hearsay. ¶ 20. In response, the State again notes (1) that Corr's statement on the tape is essentially the same as his trial testimony that he recognized McDowell driving the car which Lessner had just described, (2) that the testimony was probative on the issue of McDowell's identity, and (3) that the entire issue was rendered moot when Laneaux and McDowell testified at trial that McDowell was present at the scene and drove away in the vehicle described by Lessner. ¶ 21. To the extent that McDowell argues that the statement was hearsay, we conclude that the statement was properly admissible under Rule 803(1) which creates an exception to the hearsay rule for [a] statement describing or explaining an event or condition made while the declarant was perceiving the event or condition or immediately thereafter. M.R.E. 803(1). To the extent that McDowell argues that the statement should have been inadmissible due to substantial prejudice, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding that any prejudice from Corr's statement did not substantially outweigh its probative value. See Agnew, 783 So.2d at 704.