Opinion ID: 475514
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admissibility of the Recorded Telephone Conversations

Text: 11 Appellants first contend that the recorded telephone conversations between Davis and FBI informant Wright were improperly admitted into evidence because the government failed to establish that Wright consented to the recordings. They argue that the recordings were inadmissible under the Federal Rules of Evidence and Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2510, et seq., because the government neither called Wright to testify nor demonstrated his unavailability as a foundation for FBI agents' hearsay testimony regarding Wright's consent. We disagree. 12 Title III of the Omnibus Crime Act prohibits the admission of evidence gathered by the unlawful interception of a wire or oral communication. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2515. The act provides, however, that it is not unlawful for a person acting under color of law to intercept a wire or oral communication, where such person is a party to the communication or one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2511(2)(c). Although the burden of proving consent is on the government, see United States v. Napier, 451 F.2d 552, 553 (5th Cir.1971), such proof need not consist of testimonial evidence. The burden also can be met by circumstantial evidence showing that an informant placed the telephone call knowing that the call would be recorded. United States v. Kolodziej, 706 F.2d 590, 593 (5th Cir.1983); United States v. Bonanno, 487 F.2d 654, 658 (2d Cir.1973); cf. United States v. Fuentes, 563 F.2d 527, 533 (2d Cir.1977) (recorder placed on informant). 13 Here, overwhelming circumstantial evidence demonstrated Wright's consent to the recordings. A paid informer, Wright himself notified the FBI of Davis' plan to steal and sell tractor-trailer trucks. He was in FBI headquarters for both the first and the last recorded conversation with Davis, and actively participated with agent Murray in the others. Moreover, Wright's conversations with Davis occurred over a period of several days, thus providing Wright ample opportunity to reconsider his decision to cooperate with the FBI. Appellants do not contend that Wright did not, in fact, consent to the recordings, nor does any evidence suggest that Wright's participation in the recording conversations was either unknowing or nonvoluntary. Given the circumstantial proof of consent, additional testimonial evidence was not necessary for the government to meet its burden.