Opinion ID: 1442968
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Special Agent James Barry's Testimony

Text: Liu contends the district court committed reversible error by allowing Special Agent James Barry to testify regarding out of court statements made by Lian and Chi. The statements were admitted pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B). This rule of evidence provides that a statement is not hearsay if the statement is a prior consistent statement by a witness and it is offered to rebut an express or implied charge against the witness of recent fabrication or improper influence or motive. Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(1)(B). In order to admit statements under Rule 801(d)(1)(B), the party that seeks to admit the statements must satisfy four elements: (1) the declarant must testify at trial and be subject to cross-examination; (2) there must be an express or implied charge of recent fabrication or improper influence or motive of the declarant's testimony; (3) the proponent must offer a prior consistent statement that is consistent with the declarant's challenged in-court testimony; and, (4) the prior consistent statement must be made prior to the time that the supposed motive to falsify arose. United States v. Collicott, 92 F.3d 973, 979 (9th Cir.1996); see also Tome v. United States, 513 U.S. 150, 157-58, 115 S.Ct. 696, 130 L.Ed.2d 574 (1995). In this case, the declarants, Chi and Lian, both testified at trial and were subject to cross examination. Liu challenged the credibility of Lian and Chi by presenting evidence that the women had received financial assistance from the FBI. Liu implied Lian and Chi fabricated their testimony in order to receive financial assistance from the FBI. Agent Barry, the proponent, testified about the content of Lian and Chi's statements before the FBI began providing them with financial assistance. Lian and Chi's statements, as presented by Agent Barry, were largely consistent with their in-court testimony. Accordingly, all four elements are satisfied by Agent Barry's testimony. Rather than reversible error, this is a textbook example of when to apply Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B), and we conclude the district court did not abuse its discretion when it permitted Agent Barry to testify about Lian and Chi's prior consistent statements.