Opinion ID: 779091
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Background Exception.

Text: 183 In its opinion rejecting Ryan's claim, the district court found that the testimony of Jensen and Reck was admissible for the understanding of a sequence of events, ... to show how the investigation developed and in order to avoid speculation as to the subsequent actions of the police which led to the petitioner's arrest. Respondent argues this theory on appeal, contending that it needed to elicit the testimony of Jensen and Reck in order to explain why Ryan was at the police station on April 28, 1979, and to explain the course of the investigation that led to Ryan's arrest on October 23, 1981. Ryan argues that this testimony was irrelevant to any material issue in the case and was not necessary to provide background and, ironically, did not explain why he was at the police station. Rather, Ryan contends that the sole purpose of Jensen's and Reck's testimony was to inform the jury that the police charged Ryan with murder after Peter Q. confessed to Palumbo and accused Ryan. 184 Testimony containing hearsay may be admissible not for its truth but as background information if (1) the non-hearsay purpose by which the evidence is sought to be justified is relevant, and (2) the probative value of this evidence for its non-hearsay purpose is [not] outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice resulting from the impermissible hearsay use of the declarant's statement. Reyes, 18 F.3d at 70. Two common scenarios in which the admission of testimony as background evidence may be appropriate are as testimony helpful in clarifying noncontroversial matter[s] without causing unfair prejudice on significant disputed matters, and as appropriate rebuttal to initiatives launched by the defendant. Id.; see, e.g., United States v. Gilliam, 994 F.2d 97, 103 (2d Cir.1993) (finding that hearsay testimony, offered to rebut defense questioning, was permissible because, The statement about the second gun was admitted ... under the theory that it was not offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted, but only to explain the actions of the police officers in returning to the scene.). 185 In analyzing the relevance and prejudice prongs of the background information test, the Reyes Court offered the following guidance: 186 Questions involved in the determination of the relevance and importance of such evidence include: (i) Does the background or state of mind evidence contribute to the proof of the defendant's guilt? (ii) If so, how important is it to the jury's understanding of the issues? (iii) Can the needed explanation of background or state of mind be adequately communicated by other less prejudicial evidence or by instructions? (iv) Has the defendant engaged in a tactic that justifiably opens the door to such evidence to avoid prejudice to the Government? 187 Questions involved in the assessment of potential prejudice include: (v) Does the declaration address an important disputed issue in the trial? Is the same information shown by other uncontested evidence? (vi) Was the statement made by a knowledgeable declarant so that it is likely to be credited by the jury? (vii) Will the declarant testify at trial, thus rendering him available for cross-examination? If so, will he testify to the same effect as the out-of-court statement? Is the out-of-court statement admissible in any event as a prior consistent, or inconsistent, statement? (viii) Can curative or limiting instructions effectively protect against misuse or prejudice? 188 Reyes, 18 F.3d at 70-71 (footnotes omitted). 189 The district court erred in concluding that the testimony of Jensen and Reck was admissible as background evidence. The testimony was not necessary or relevant to a material issue in the case — it did not offer an explanation for something about which the jury would be curious. The officers already had testified that Ryan was at the station because the police wanted to question him as a potential witness. The testimony did not explain the police's actions after April 28, 1979, and it did not explain Ryan's eventual indictment and arrest. Furthermore, even if the testimony was relevant, it should have been excluded under a standard Fed.R.Evid. 403 probative versus prejudice balance. The testimony addressed a hotly disputed issue — the circumstances under which Ryan was initially charged. Given the previous court decisions holding Peter Q.'s confession unreliable and inadmissible, to the extent the testimony relayed that information in an effort to explain why Ryan was initially charged and eventually arrested, the testimony was highly prejudicial. The testimony was only relevant if we assume its truth — that Peter Q. accused Ryan — which we cannot do. Because the testimony is only relevant to the very purpose for which the jury cannot consider it, it is not admissible testimony under the background exception. 190