Opinion ID: 2572491
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Issue 3: Did the trial court abuse its discretion in permitting the jury to hear the entire recording of the 911 call?

Text: Meeks claims that it was error for the trial court to play the entire recording of a 911 call made by Lacy Rydell during the shooting because the prejudicial impact of the recording substantially outweighed the probative value. Generally, all relevant evidence is admissible. K.S.A. 60-407(f). Relevant evidence is defined as evidence having any tendency in reason to prove any material fact. K.S.A. 60-401(b). Where the probative value is substantially outweighed by the risk of unfair prejudice, even relevant evidence may be excluded by the judge. State v. Dreiling, 274 Kan. 518, 549, 54 P.3d 475 (2002); see also State v. Kingsley, 252 Kan. 761, 770, 851 P.2d 370 (1993)(noting that despite the wording of K.S.A. 60-445, the element of surprise does not get factored into the equation). Our standard of review of otherwise relevant evidence which arguably should have been excluded after this particular weighing is abuse of discretion. Kingsley, 252 Kan. at 770. As mentioned, discretion is abused only when no reasonable person would take the view adopted by the trial court; the burden of proof is on the party alleging that the discretion is abused. See Bey, 270 Kan. at 546. Defense counsel objected to the portion of the tape in which crying could be heard, arguing that there are statements by unknown declarants and that it was cumulative and unduly prejudicial. The State responded that the tape corroborated Rydell's testimony that he called 911 as he was viewing the incident; that it corroborated testimony by Mia Taylor and Green's brother, Shawn Imon Wright, about the commotion at the scene; and that it gave insight as to the medical status of Green after the shooting. The court ruled: Well, I have also listened to that tape and the portion that Mr. D'Arcy is concerned about. I think we've listened to that perhaps three times and I certainly am not able to discern any words that are actually being spoken and I don't believe that there's anything there that is unfairly prejudicial to the defendant in that regard. Mr. D'Arcy, I know that you're concerned that perhaps someone is speaking your client's name. I think that that is probably a stretch and I think it would take somebody with ears the size of an elephant to hear what's being said there and to discern any individual words. It's primarily screaming and hollering and yelling. I think that that exhibit probably conveys what was going on at the scene at that moment probably better than any testimony that's being recalled after the fact. And so, Mr. D'Arcy, your objection to that tape after 50 seconds is overruled. In State v. Williams, 235 Kan. 485, 681 P.2d 660 (1984), this court upheld the admission of a 911 tape that recorded conversations, screams, and other noises heard by the dispatcher for 30 minutes during the victim's rape. The defendant argued that the recording was so gruesome that it was more prejudicial than probative. We found that the argument was without merit. The recording went to the very heart of the case showing the victim's lack of consent, that her resistance was overcome by force or fear, and that the sexual assault occurred. The tape also corroborates the testimony of several witnesses, including the victim. The tape is not inadmissible because it is gruesome and shocking. It is a true reproduction of a gruesome, shocking event. The fact the recording reflects this may not be used by appellant to exclude such evidence as `prejudicial.' It was prejudicial as is all evidence against the accused in criminal actions. That is its purpose. It is only when such prejudicial evidence has little probative value that it is excluded. Here its probative value was strong. The tape recording was properly admitted. 235 Kan. at 493. Similarly, in State v. Abu-Fakher, 274 Kan. 584, 56 P.3d 166 (2002), this court upheld the admission of an audiotape made by the defendant that recorded the events occurring before, during, and after the moment he shot his wife. The defendant sought to exclude the portion of the tape containing his wife's dying moans and gasps. This court first looked at whether the recording was inadmissible and then whether it would tend to prejudice the jury. We concluded: [T]he trial court correctly determined that the probative value of the recording as a whole outweighed any prejudicial impact created as a result of the dying sounds of [the wife]. As in Williams, the recording captured a shocking, gruesome event; however, the probative value of the recording is strong. The tape recording captured the demeanor of the parties involved and changes in the demeanor of [the defendant] and [his wife] before, during, and after the shooting. In addition, the recording not only corroborates the testimony of [the defendant] and [a witness] concerning their telephone conversation, but provides evidence of the nature and duration of their exchange. The recording is the most probative and comprehensive evidence of the actual commission of the crime, the sequence in which events occurred, and their duration; it provides considerable context for the manner of death and time span in which the events took place. 274 Kan. at 598. The tape in the instant case contains relevant evidence. As the district court ruled, it probably conveys what was going on at the scene at that moment probably better than any testimony that's being recalled after the fact. Moreover, the tape corroborates the testimony of several witnesses, particularly about the victim's condition after the shooting. Meeks fails to meet his burden of demonstrating that the court's admission of this evidence, after weighing the probative value against the prejudicial, was an abuse of discretion. Specifically, we cannot say that no reasonable person would take the view adopted by the trial court. See Bey, 270 Kan. at 546; Kingsley, 252 Kan. at 770. Since Crawford v. Washington had not been released at the time of oral arguments, we acknowledge that on appeal Meeks may not have raised a Confrontation Clause argument because of prior case law, i.e., Ohio v. Roberts and State v. Bailey . Nonetheless, our review of the 4-minute recording against this new backdrop essentially supports the admission of this evidence. Even if we assume (but do not decide) much of the recording is testimonial because the 911 operator was affiliated with law enforcement and was therefore interrogating Rydell, there is no Confrontation Clause violation: the few voices which were intelligible belong to witnesses who testified at trial. Green himself can be heard at least twice responding to Rydell's questions  as requested by the 911 operator  about whether Green can move his legs (yes) and about whether he can breathe all right (no). As explained in issue 1 regarding the Meeks shot me statement, however, Meeks forfeited his right to confrontation and waived his right to object on hearsay grounds once he killed the declarant, Green.