Opinion ID: 1161008
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: hearsay statements of alan keith copridge

Text: The defendant argues that admission of the statements made by Copridge, who was also charged with and convicted of the murder of Williams, to John Stevens and Benjamin Amaro, Jr., on the grounds that Copridge was in the courtroom and was subject to being called by either party, was error. He argues that the failure of Copridge to testify at trial denied him the right to confront witnesses. Stevens and Amaro testified that Copridge approached them and asked them if he wanted to help Copridge steal stereo equipment from Williams. When Stevens asked how Copridge would be able to steal from someone he knew, Copridge stated he would take care of it. Amaro testified that Copridge asked him to hold some of the stereo equipment for him. In State v. Fisher, 222 Kan. 76, Syl. ¶ 5, 563 P.2d 1012 (1977), we held that a declarant must testify at trial before hearsay evidence of his or her out-of-court statement may be admitted under K.S.A. 60-460(a), which was the exception relied upon by the court in admitting Copridge's statement to other witnesses. We later modified Fisher in State v. Davis, 236 Kan. 538, 541, 694 P.2d 418 (1985), wherein we held that if the declarant is actually present and testifies at trial, the statements are admissible whether admitted before or after the declarant testifies. In the instant case, Copridge, the declarant, was not called to testify and, therefore, admitting the hearsay statements under the provisions of K.S.A. 60-460(a), as the trial court did, was error. However, the State contends that such statements were admissible under the provisions of K.S.A. 60-460(i)(2), which provide an exception to the hearsay rule for those statements which would be admissible if made by the declarant at the hearing if the party and the declarant were participating in a plan to commit a crime or a civil wrong and the statement was relevant to the plan or its subject matter, and was made while the plan was in existence and before its complete execution or termination. In interpreting this provision, we have held statements to be admissible under this exception where there is evidence other than the proffered out-of-court statement which establishes a substantial factual basis for a conspiracy between the defendant and the declarant. State v. Butler, 257 Kan. 1043, 1060, 897 P.2d 1007 (1995), modified on other grounds 257 Kan. 1110, 916 P.2d 1 (1996). In this case, there was substantial evidence, absent the statements of the declarant, that the defendant and Copridge were involved in a conspiracy to rob Williams. Lionel Sanders testified that the defendant told him that the defendant, Copridge, and Slim were going to steal a sports utility vehicle belonging to a person who owned a stereo store. All of the alleged hearsay statements by Copridge were related to this conspiracy and were made while the conspiracy was still in existence. Thus, they were admissible under the coconspirator exception to the hearsay rule. K.S.A. 60-460(i)(2). Although the trial court may have erred in admitting such statements under K.S.A. 60-460(a), K.S.A. 60-460(i)(2) provided a basis for their admission, and it was not error for the trial court to admit the same.