Opinion ID: 2609360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admissibility of the taped conversations between Wade and Hodges.

Text: The determination of whether to admit evidence is within the sound discretion of the district court, and that determination will not be disturbed unless manifestly wrong. Petrocelli v. State, 101 Nev. 46, 52, 692 P.2d 503, 508 (1985). In admitting the taped conversations, the district court relied on United States v. Tangeman, 30 F.3d 950 (8th Cir.1994). See also United States v. Inadi, 475 U.S. 387, 398 n. 11, 106 S.Ct. 1121, 89 L.Ed.2d 390 (1986); United States v. McKneely, 69 F.3d 1067 (10th Cir.1995). Wade objected to the admission of these tapes on three grounds: 1) the State's failure to establish a chain of custody; 2) the fact that Hodges' unavailability prevented Hodges from testifying that he consented to being taped; and 3) hearsay. [7] In Tangeman, an informant's statements on a tape recorded conversation with a defendant were determined to be nonhearsay. Tangeman, 30 F.3d at 952. The court analyzed the case based upon a defendant's right to confront witnesses pursuant to the Sixth Amendment because the informant there had also become unavailable. Id. In holding that the tapes were nonhearsay, the court stated: We agree with the district court ... that [the informant's] statements were offered to provide context for Tangeman's admissions and not to prove the truth of the matters asserted therein. The court also cautioned the jury that voices in the recordings other than Tangeman's were to be considered only to place Tangeman's statements in context. Id. at 952. We agree with the rationale in Tangeman and, therefore, adopt that federal court's approach when such circumstances present themselves. Accordingly, we conclude that the State did not introduce Hodges' statements on the tapes to prove the truth of the matter asserted, but only for the limited purpose of providing a context for Wade's statements. See NRS 51.035. The record reflects that the State argued this precise rationale before the district court at the time Wade objected to admission of the tapes below. Because we adopt the approach taken in Tangeman, we further conclude that the tapes are nonhearsay and, therefore, their admission into evidence did not violate Wade's rights of confrontation.