Opinion ID: 884016
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Did the District Court abuse its discretion in excluding Ricky Burke's testimony regarding Smith's statements to him?

Text: Ricky Burke (Burke), the friend from whom Smith borrowed money for gas needed to retrieve the bikes, testified on Smith's behalf at trial. The State objected, on hearsay grounds, to questions of Burke about Smith's statements to him regarding Smith's purpose in borrowing gas money. Smith's counsel responded that, because Smith was a party to the case, his statements to Burke were declarations by a party and, therefore, admissible. The District Court expressed doubts, but overruled the State's objection. Burke's testimony concerning Smith's statements to him continued. The District Court subsequently reversed its earlier ruling and determined that Smith's statements to Burke were not admissions under Rule 801(d)(2)(A), M.R.Evid., presumably because they were not offered against Smith. On that basis, the court precluded further testimony from Burke regarding Smith's statements to him. We observe at the outset that Smith does not contend on appeal that the District Court abused its discretion in determining that Smith's statements to Burke were not admissions under Rule 801(d)(2)(A), M.R.Evid. Instead, Smith argues that his statements to Burke were admissible under the hearsay exception for then-existing state of mind set forth in Rule 803(3), M.R.Evid. However, Smith did not offer Burke's testimony to the District Court pursuant to Rule 803(3), M.R.Evid.; as set forth above, the basis on which the testimony was offered was Rule 801(d)(2)(A), M.R.Evid. It is axiomatic that a party may not change the theory on appeal from that advanced in the district court. State v. Henderson (1994), 265 Mont. 454, 458, 877 P.2d 1013, 1016 (citation omitted). Smith having failed to raise the admissibility of Burke's testimony under Rule 803(3), M.R.Evid., in the District Court, he may not raise it in this Court. See State v. Johnson (1993), 257 Mont. 157, 162, 848 P.2d 496, 499. We consider for review only those questions raised in the trial court ( Johnson, 848 P.2d at 499) and, therefore, we decline to address the admissibility of Burke's testimony under Rule 803(3), M.R.Evid.