Opinion ID: 1722059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Did trial court erroneously admit testimony relating to defendant's offer to pay for the coat?

Text: Questions eliciting Handeland's testimony concerning defendant's offer to pay for the coat were timely objected to as calling for hearsay and an offer of civil compromise. The objection further asserted the evidence was not an admission. We are convinced, however, this evidence was admissible as a quasi-admission against penal interest. State v. Ritchison, 223 N.W.2d 207, 212 (Iowa 1974); State v. Williams, 207 N.W.2d 98, 107-108 (Iowa 1973). The exclusionary rule designed to exclude an offer of compromise in a civil case when tendered as an admission of weakness of opposing party's claim or defense is ordinarily not applicable in a criminal case, except in a plea-bargain situation. McCormick on Evidence § 274, at 664-665 (2d ed. 1972); 4 Wigmore on Evidence § 1061, at 46 (Chadbourn rev. 1972). The public policy of promoting compromise which lies behind the exclusionary rule in civil controversies has no application in the criminal law field where statutory safeguards against compounding felonies and offenses apply. See §§ 722.1, 722.2, 773.50, The Code. From the testimony concerning defendant's offer to pay for the coat, the jury could have inferred he had in fact stolen it and wanted to avoid prosecution for a public offense. We find no merit in this ground advanced for reversal.