Opinion ID: 6108592
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Cell Phone

Text: For the third point on appeal, Hill contends that the circuit court abused its discretion in admitting several text messages from his cell phone. He also contends that the circuit court erred in admitting testimony concerning the meaning of certain phrases contained in the text messages. Rule 401 of the Arkansas Rules of Evidence defines relevant evidence as evidence having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence. Arkansas Rule of Evidence 402 provides that [e]vidence which is not relevant is not admissible. Relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Ark. R. Evid. 403. At trial, the circuit court admitted some of Hill's text messages during the testimony of Billy Don Kennedy, a narcotics investigator. The text messages included the following: I'm going to pull a Jack move tonight for about 90 roxy 30's and close to 60 K-4's. Can't talk right now ... I'm creepen through the woods ... I'll hit you up when I'm thrue with this ok I LOVE YOU BABY AND I'M MISSING YOU LIKE CRAZY! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Ok baby I will ... I promise you! ! ! I'm gonna be ok so don't worry ... but if something does ever happen to me just KNOW and REMEMBER forever that you have my heart and ALWAYS have from day one and that I was ALWAYS on your side and willing to do anything for you ... because I love you so much! ! ! ! I went to pay sale tax on my car ... I thought it was $590.... WRONG! ! More like $1017 ... I went off and walked out n went straight to dealership and got a extension ... gonna try to get the contract restructured and include the sale tax in my monthly payments? ? ? ? I'm sorry baby my phone been dead and I just got home ... I feel bad after reading your message! ! ! I've missed you like crazy all day ... I had to drive out of town to go pick up another pair of skates so I'm straight now! ! ! I hope to see you again soon? ? I've got to hustle hard these next two weeks and save  $1117 to pay taxes and at least $850 more to keep my business afloat! ! ! ! ! The circuit court ruled that these text messages are up to and including the time of the event which gave rise to these charges. They reference jack moves and roxy's and things-and all conclude about the time of the event that gave rise to these charges. I think that [the text messages] are relevant and will be admittable [sic] at this point. Here, the circuit court ruled that the text messages were admissible because they were close in time to the offense, and they corroborated Salvo's testimony that Hill entered the premises and demanded pills and money, thereby establishing his motive for the crime. We agree with the circuit court's conclusion that the text messages were relevant for purposes of corroborating the victim's testimony and were close in time to the offense. Accordingly, we hold that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in admitting these text messages from Hill's cell phone. Further, Hill argues that Investigator Kennedy lacked the expertise to comment on the meaning of the slang terms for the drugs listed in the text messages. The officer testified that roxy 30's and K-4's referred to opioid-based narcotics. He testified that a jack move meant to steal something or to rob something. He also testified that creepen meant sneaking or creeping around about to maybe to do a jack move on somebody. At trial, Hill objected that the officer's testimony was purely speculative, and the circuit court ruled that the police officer had indicated some measure of experience with this, and I'm going to allow him to testify. Arkansas Rule of Evidence Rule 701 permits opinion testimony of a lay witness when the opinions are rationally based on the perception of the witness and are helpful to a clear understanding of the witness's testimony or the determination of a fact in issue. See Salley v. State , 303 Ark. 278 , 796 S.W.2d 335 (1990). Rule 701 is not a rule against opinions but is a rule that conditionally favors them. Moore v. State , 323 Ark. 529 , 915 S.W.2d 284 (1996). Here, Investigator Kennedy's testimony meets the requirements of Rule 701. We cannot say that the circuit court abused its discretion in allowing the officer to give his lay-opinion testimony about the drug terminology in Hill's text messages because the circuit court determined that the officer possessed some experience in that area. We affirm the circuit court's ruling.