Opinion ID: 686510
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission of Mitchell's Recorded Statements

Text: 10 Mr. Williams presents a focused argument. He submits that statements of coconspirator Mitchell that were made prior to October 29, 1993 are inadmissible because the record is devoid of any evidence that Mitchell was acting in concert with anyone prior to that date. He therefore submits that the tapes of conversations between Mitchell and the government informant prior to that date are not statements made in the course of the conspiracy because no conspiracy existed during that period. We review the district court's ruling for clear error. United States v. Rodriguez, 975 F.2d 404, 408-11 (7th Cir.1992). 11 The basic rules governing the admission of coconspirator statements are well established in the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and in our cases that follow and apply that jurisprudence. In order to assess the contention of Mr. Williams, we need only state the most fundamental of those principles here. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E), a statement is not hearsay if it is offered against a party, is a statement of a coconspirator of the party and was made in furtherance of the conspiracy. In order to comply with this rule, the government must demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence 2 that the conspiracy existed, that the defendant and the declarant were members of the conspiracy, and that the statements sought to be admitted were made in furtherance of the conspiracy. United States v. Schumpert, 958 F.2d 770, 773 (7th Cir.1992); United States v. Santiago, 582 F.2d 1128, 1134 (7th Cir.1978). In making this determination, the court may examine the hearsay statements sought to be admitted. Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171, 181, 107 S.Ct. 2775, 2781, 97 L.Ed.2d 144 (1987). 12 We believe that the record supports the decision of the district court to admit the statements of coconspirator Mitchell that were made during the period in question. The statements of Mitchell and Williams, when read in their totality, support the conclusion that Williams and Mitchell had conspired prior to October 29. First, Mitchell specifically stated to Detective Jones that Mr. Williams was his partner and that Mr. Williams had advised him not to travel to East St. Louis. (Tr. of Government's Ex. 8 at 5). Additionally, Mr. Williams stated in conversation with Detective Jones that he travelled all the way to East St. Louis and did not expect any problems to occur in the transaction. (Id. at 4-5). Earlier, on September 15, Mitchell had stated to Detective Jones that his people would transport the drugs, and would travel as an additional security precaution. (Tr. of Government's Ex. 2 at 7). 13 Other evidence also supports the district court's decision to admit the recorded conversations because it indicates that Mr. Williams participated in the conspiracy. Mr. Williams stated that he sat in a non-adjacent seat to Mitchell on his flight from San Diego because he wanted to sit in the smoking section. (Jury Trial, Tr. III at 284-85). A government expert witness explained adequately at trial that narcotics dealers often avoid sitting in adjacent seats on airplanes in order to prevent simultaneous arrest. (Jury Trial, Tr. III at 303). Moreover, the government argued, Mr. Williams' explanation for sitting apart from Mitchell was obviously untrue because domestic airline flights no longer contain smoking sections. 14 We cannot say that the district court erred in ruling that the government established by a preponderance of the evidence that a conspiracy existed during the disputed period and that Mr. Williams participated in that conspiracy. Consequently, the disputed six recorded conversations were properly admitted. In any event, we believe that any error on the part of the district court in this regard was certainly harmless. The evidence of Mr. Williams' participation in the conspiracy after October 29 was overwhelming. Two eyewitnesses, including a police detective, saw Mr. Williams retrieve the secreted cylinder at the Blackmon's Motel and take it to Mitchell's room. Within minutes, Mitchell was arrested with the cylinder at a nearby lounge. 15