Opinion ID: 77303
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Law in Force at the Time Espy's Conviction Became Final Forecloses Relief

Text: 20 Turning to the merits of Espy's petition, we review the state court's decision based on the law in force prior to Crawford. See White, 502 U.S. at 355-56, 112 S.Ct. at 742-43. Under White, the sole question is whether the statements at issue here carried with them sufficient indicia of reliability to bring them within a firmly rooted hearsay exception. Id. We conclude that the statements in question met this standard. The Georgia state court admitted the statements pursuant to its res gestae exception. This exception has been part of the Georgia Code since at least 1863, 3 and it was a staple at common law. 4 The Federal Rules of Evidence have codified aspects of the exception in two subsections of Rule 803. Thus, the exception is firmly rooted. Whether the statements in question properly fit Georgia's res gestae exception has not been placed at issue here, and thus we accept the Georgia Court of Appeals' decision that Georgia's res gestae exception applies.