Opinion ID: 71274
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rower's Bond Hearing Statements

Text: Tokars argues that the district court erred in admitting the out-of-court testimony offered by Rower during his Cobb County bond hearing under Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(3).7 At least 7 Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(3) provides: The following [is] not excluded by the hearsay rule if the declarant is unavailable as a witness: A statement which was at the time of its making so far contrary to the declarant's pecuniary or proprietary interest, or so far tended to subject the declarant to civil or criminal liability, or to render invalid a claim by the declarant against another, that a reasonable person in the declarant's position would not have made the statement unless believing it to be true. A statement tending to expose the declarant to criminal liability and offered to exculpate the accused is not admissible unless corroborating circumstances clearly portions of the Rower bond hearing testimony were, in fact, relevant statements made by Rower against his penal interest within the meaning of Rule 804(b)(3). Moreover, because Rower was unavailable to testify at trial, and because his statement regarding Lawrence's offer of $5,000 to commit murder and his statements admitting the kidnapping were made against his penal interest and were corroborated by other evidence in the case, we conclude that the statements were properly admitted. If there was any error in the admission of the Rower testimony, however, such error was harmless. None of the testimony directly inculpated Tokars. The testimony was only relevant as to Tokars's involvement in the kidnapping insofar as it demonstrated that Sara Tokars was, in fact, kidnapped. However, the testimony of Lawrence and Detective McEntyre, considered independent of Rower's testimony, was more than sufficient to prove the fact that Sara Tokars was kidnapped. Furthermore, the evidence crucial to Tokars's guilt regarding the murder-for-hire scheme was that which related to his dealings with Lawrence, not that which related to Lawrence's dealings with Rower, the main subject of Rower's testimony. Finally, although Rower's testimony may have been corroborative, in part, of Lawrence's testimony, Tokars impeached Lawrence on cross-examination, and Rower's testimony contradicted Lawrence's in some respects. Thus, any corroboration of Lawrence's testimony by Rower had a minimal effect on the jury's perception of indicate the trustworthiness of the statement. Lawrence's credibility.8