Opinion ID: 2022208
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Telephone Conversation with Toni Leisure

Text: Defendant challenged the admissibility of Leisure's testimony both before trial by motion in limine and at trial. Defendant claims that Leisure's testimony about a caller named Cheryl Angleton, who telephoned in order to arrange for the purchase of a Rottweiler, should not have been admitted into evidence. The first ground upon which he challenges the testimony is for a lack of foundation establishing that the caller was Cheryl. Defendant contends that, because the information conveyed by the caller to Leisure contained facts about Cheryl both, true and false, the information did not establish it was Cheryl who phoned Leisure. For evidence of a telephone conversation to be admitted, the identity of the participants must be established. King v. State, 560 N.E.2d 491, 494 (Ind.1990). Identity may be established through voice identification where the receiver is familiar with the caller's voice. Ashley v. State, 493 N.E.2d 768, 775 (Ind.1986). Identity may also be established through circumstantial evidence where the caller gives sufficient specific information which only she would know. Lock v. State, 567 N.E.2d 1155, 1159 (Ind.1991); Reed v. State, 491 N.E.2d 182, 186 (Ind.1986). Examples of such information include name, phone number, address, and social security number. Id. at 186. The identity of the caller need not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. King, 560 N.E.2d at 494-95. Conflicts in information establishing identity go to the weight and not the admissibility of the evidence. Id. at 495. Leisure learned that the caller's name was Cheryl Angleton, that she lived in an apartment, drove a small car, and was a part-time student. She also noted that the caller spoke in a soft voice. This was sufficient circumstantial evidence to establish the caller as Cheryl. Lock, 567 N.E.2d at 1159; Reed, 491 N.E.2d at 186. While the caller also professed to be single and not to own a cat, facts which were untrue of Cheryl, these conflicts go to the weight, not the admissibility of the evidence. King, 560 N.E.2d at 494-95.