Opinion ID: 1998534
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Conspiracy Evidence

Text: Defendant also challenges the admission, through the testimony of Joseph Rinaldi, of several statements by defendant and Permanian regarding the conspiracy. Defendant claims that Joseph Rinaldi's testimony about preoffense and post-offense statements by defendant and codefendant Permanian was inadmissible because the State's evidence did not conform to the time limitations placed upon it by the bill of particulars. Prior to Rinaldi's testimony at trial, defendant filed a motion to exclude portions of Rinaldi's testimony which related to statements made by defendant and Permanian before and after February 18, 1988, which was the date on which the offenses of murder and conspiracy allegedly occurred pursuant to the bill of particulars. Defendant argued that he was surprised by that evidence because it was beyond the scope of the bill of particulars on which defendant relied in preparing his case. The trial court denied defendant's motion on the basis that the defense was not taken by surprise because the State tendered such statements to the defense prior to trial. Rinaldi thereafter testified about meetings and conversations with defendant and Permanian before and after February 18, 1988. Rinaldi testified that, beginning in November of 1987, there were a series of meetings between him and Permanian. During these meetings, Permanian made statements that suggested the development of a plan by Permanian, Rinaldi and defendant to murder Dana Rinaldi. Rinaldi also testified about meetings with Permanian and defendant at which defendant agreed to murder Rinaldi's wife in exchange for a portion of the insurance proceeds. According to Rinaldi, defendant requested background information about Dana Rinaldi regarding her place of employment, work hours, and the location of their home, including the layout of their apartment complex, which defendant and Permanian indicated would be the best place to commit the murder. Rinaldi also testified about statements made by Permanian following the murder. These statements related to defendant's and Permanian's threats to Rinaldi, their efforts to collect the insurance proceeds from Rinaldi, including a payment schedule, and a plan to convert traveler's checks into cash in Las Vegas. Defendant now contends that the trial court erred by allowing Rinaldi's testimony about defendant's and Permanian's statements because these statements varied from the date of the murder and conspiracy set forth in the bill of particulars. Section 111-6 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (725 ILCS 5/111-6 (West 1996)) provides that the trial court has discretion to require the State to furnish the defendant with a bill of particulars containing such particulars of the offense as may be necessary for the preparation of the defense. That section further states that [a]t the trial of the cause the State's evidence shall be confined to the particulars of the bill. The purpose of the bill of particulars in criminal prosecutions is to give the defendant notice of the charge against him and to inform him of the particular transactions brought in question so as to enable the defendant to prepare his defense. See People v. Westrup, 372 Ill. 517, 518, 25 N.E.2d 16 (1939); 21A Ill. L. & Prac. Indictments and Informations § 59 (1977). In general, the State is confined in its proof to the matters set forth in the bill of particulars; however, a bill of particulars limits the evidence only as to the matters that it purports to particularize and does not limit the introduction of evidence tending to prove such matters. See 30 Ill. L. & Prac. Pleading § 243 (1993). Although the bill of particulars limits the State's evidence to transactions set out in the bill, the State is not required to disclose in the bill all of the evidence that will be offered in support of the charge. See Westrup, 372 Ill. at 519, 25 N.E.2d 16; People v. Seawright, 228 Ill. App.3d 939, 969, 171 Ill.Dec. 183, 593 N.E.2d 1003 (1992). In fact, any evidence tending to establish the transactions set forth in the bill of particulars is admissible. See People v. Depew, 237 Ill. 574, 578, 86 N.E. 1090 (1908). Moreover, a variance between the bill of particulars and the evidence at trial does not result in reversible error where the defendant has not been misled or prejudiced in the preparation of his defense. See People v. Suter, 292 Ill.App.3d 358, 364, 226 Ill.Dec. 568, 685 N.E.2d 1023 (1997); People v. Paik, 257 Ill.App.3d 620, 625-26, 195 Ill.Dec. 676, 628 N.E.2d 1140 (1993); 21A Ill. L. & Prac. Indictments and Informations § 83 (1977), 30 Ill. L. & Prac. Pleading § 245 (1993). In this case, it is clear from the information relayed in the statements at issue that the State introduced those statements to support its charge of conspiracy to commit murder on the part of defendant. The offense of conspiracy arises where a person with intent that an offense be committed agrees with another to the commission of that offense and an act in furtherance of such agreement is alleged and proved to have been committed by that person or by a coconspirator. 720 ILCS 5/8-2 (West 1996). Consequently, conspiracy involves a criminal agreement to commit a separate criminal act or acts. The bill of particulars provided that the date of the conspiracy was on or about February 18, 1988. Given that Rinaldi's testimony referred to events and statements which were made before and after that date, there was indeed a variance between the evidence presented by Rinaldi and the date of the conspiracy specified in the bill of particulars. However, we find that the trial court's ruling allowing Rinaldi's testimony despite that variance was not error. The preoffense statements laid a foundation for the conspiracy, and the post-offense statements indicated the ongoing nature of the conspiracy, which included obtaining insurance proceeds. Moreover, the trial court indicated that the State tendered Rinaldi's statements to the defense during pretrial discovery. The State's answer to discovery also provided that written or recorded statements and summaries of oral statements of codefendants, which included Rinaldi, were given to the defense. In view of these circumstances, we are not persuaded that defendant was misled or prejudiced in the preparation of his defense due to any variance between the date set forth in the bill of particulars and the evidence presented by the State. We therefore conclude that any variance did not amount to reversible error. In a related claim, defendant argues that the trial court erred in ruling that the coconspirator exception to the hearsay rule permitted Rinaldi to testify about hearsay statements of Permanian occurring after Dana Rinaldi's murder. The following testimony by Rinaldi is at issue. On February 18, 1988, several hours after the murder, Rinaldi called Permanian in accordance with their prior agreement. Rinaldi told Permanian that his wife, Dana, had been murdered and Permanian indicated that he knew because he had been listening to the news. Permanian asked Rinaldi how he had fared with the police, and Rinaldi admitted that he had told the police that Permanian owned a red sports car. When Permanian became upset, Rinaldi reminded him that he had originally planned to use a stolen car to commit the murder. Permanian responded that he and Ron [defendant] had used his [Permanian's] car, and it was all over the news. During a second conversation between Rinaldi and Permanian, which occurred sometime in March of 1988, Permanian angrily reported that officers had contacted him about Dana's murder. Permanian blamed Rinaldi for the police involvement because Rinaldi had told them about Permanian's red sports car. Rinaldi responded by telling Permanian that he was supposed to steal a car and make the murder look like a robbery. Permanian in turn responded that Ron couldn't get the purse out of her hand, and it looked like one of the shots may have hit it. During this conversation, Permanian demanded payments for the murder. Shortly after this conversation, Rinaldi began making payments to Permanian and defendant. Defendant also challenges additional statements in which Rinaldi and Permanian discussed Permanian's and defendant's demands for money, payment schedules, distribution of the insurance proceeds, and threats to kill Rinaldi. One such conversation occurred in August of 1989, when Permanian told Rinaldi that defendant wanted the remainder of the money owed to him. Permanian stated to Rinaldi that Kliner [defendant] wanted his money by the end of the month, the end of August, or that he [defendant] was going to kill me [Rinaldi]. This conversation led to another conversation involving a gambling scheme to convert traveler's checks to cash in Las Vegas. It is defendant's contention that the preceding statements were not admissible under the coconspirator exception to the hearsay rule because they were made beyond the pendency of the conspiracy and did not further the conspiracy. Instead, these statements merely served to incriminate defendant. Defendant therefore concludes that the admission of these statements through Rinaldi's testimony violated his constitutional rights under the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment. We find that Permanian's statements were admissible under the coconspirator exception to the hearsay rule. Pursuant to this hearsay exception, any declaration by one coconspirator is admissible against all conspirators where the declaration was made during the pendency of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. See People v. Goodman, 81 Ill.2d 278, 283, 41 Ill.Dec. 793, 408 N.E.2d 215 (1980). The coconspirator hearsay exception does not extend to a statement which is merely a narrative of past occurrences and which does not further any objective of the conspiracy. See People v. Byron, 164 Ill.2d 279, 290, 207 Ill.Dec. 453, 647 N.E.2d 946 (1995). Statements made in furtherance of a conspiracy include those that have the effect of advising, encouraging, aiding or abetting its perpetration. See M. Graham, Cleary & Graham's Handbook of Illinois Evidence § 802.10 (6th ed.1994). Statements relating to attempts at concealment further the objective of the conspiracy, which implicitly includes escaping punishment. Moreover, subsequent efforts at concealment of the crime, where sufficiently proximate in time to the offense, are considered as occurring during the course of the conspiracy. See People v. Thomas, 178 Ill.2d 215, 238, 227 Ill.Dec. 410, 687 N.E.2d 892 (1997). Here, Permanian's statement to Rinaldi regarding the use of Permanian's car during the murder occurred the same day as the murder and, as such, was proximate in time to the commission of the underlying offense of murder. Permanian's statement went beyond a mere narrative of a past event. Rather, it was directed toward persuading Rinaldi to remain silent by explaining the alteration of the original plan with respect to using a stolen car. Consequently, Permanian's statement expressed his desire to conceal the conspiracy by encouraging Rinaldi not to reveal further information to the police. Because Permanian's statement was made in furtherance of an effort at concealment, the statement was also made in furtherance of the conspiracy. Cf. People v. Parmly, 117 Ill.2d 386, 394-95, 111 Ill.Dec. 576, 512 N.E.2d 1213 (1987) (codefendant's hearsay statement that the defendant fired the fatal shot was not admissible under the coconspirator exception because the statement was not made in furtherance of any effort at concealment, and it was a mere attempt by the declarant to place the principal blame for the murder on the defendant). We therefore determine that this statement was properly admitted pursuant to the coconspirator hearsay exception. The remainder of Permanian's statements concern the collection of the payment for the murder. This court has found that statements made in an effort to obtain payment for the murder are admissible under the coconspirator hearsay exception. See People v. Byron, 164 Ill.2d 279, 207 Ill.Dec. 453, 647 N.E.2d 946 (1995). In Byron, this court was presented with a murder-for-hire scheme in which a codefendant testified about hearsay statements made by another codefendant after the murder. These statements revealed details of the murder, demands for payment and threats. We held that the trial court did not err in admitting testimony concerning these statements, which were made during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. Byron, 164 Ill.2d at 290-91, 207 Ill.Dec. 453, 647 N.E.2d 946. We reasoned that the conspiracy did not end with the victim's murder because the ultimate goal of the conspiracy was for the defendant and codefendants to obtain money as payment for the murder. Byron, 164 Ill.2d at 291, 207 Ill.Dec. 453, 647 N.E.2d 946. The conversations between the codefendants following the murder were calculated to further such financial interests, and the recitations about the murder were inextricably intertwined with the requests for money. Byron, 164 Ill.2d at 291, 207 Ill.Dec. 453, 647 N.E.2d 946. Defendant contends that the holding in Byron cannot be applied to this case. We reject this contention. Although the statements in Byron were made within one week of the offense, the holding in that case is not premised on that fact. The statements in Byron were admissible not because they were made shortly after the murder, but because they were made during and in furtherance of the conspiracy. In the case before us, as in Byron, a conspirator (Permanian) discussed certain details about the commission of the murder in his attempts to obtain payment for the murder. Permanian's statements were not merely a narrative of past details of the crime. Rather, Permanian's statements were made during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. The conspiracy did not end with Dana Rinaldi's murder on February 18, 1988, because the conspiracy encompassed obtaining the insurance proceeds. See Ramey, 151 Ill.2d at 528, 177 Ill.Dec. 449, 603 N.E.2d 519 (the conspiracy included invading the victim's house, taking the electronic equipment, and selling it). The real objective of the conspiracy included Permanian's and defendant's obtaining the insurance proceeds from Rinaldi as payment for the murder. At the time of Permanian's statements, this goal of the conspiracy had not been accomplished. Permanian's statements served to further an objective of the conspiracy, namely, to obtain payment for the murder. Even Permanian's statement regarding Dana Rinaldi's purse was attributable to his attempts to obtain payment because it sought to encourage Rinaldi to pay Permanian and defendant for the murder despite the fact that the attempt to make it look like a robbery had failed. Under these circumstances, Permanian's statements were made in the course of the conspiracy and to advance the ultimate goal of the conspiracy. As we determined in Byron, Permanian's statements were inextricably intertwined with the continued requests for compensation from Rinaldi. Accordingly, we conclude that Permanian's statements made in the context of receiving payment from Rinaldi were admissible under the coconspirator exception to the hearsay rule. As a final matter on this issue, we reject defendant's claim that the admission of Permanian's statements violated the holding in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123, 88 S.Ct. 1620, 20 L.Ed.2d 476 (1968). In Bruton, the Supreme Court held that the defendant was deprived of his rights under the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment when his codefendant's post-arrest confession, which incriminated the defendant, was admitted at their joint trial. In reaching its decision, the Court acknowledged that there was no recognized exception to the hearsay rule before it. Bruton, 391 U.S. at 128 n. 3, 88 S.Ct. at 1623 n. 3, 20 L.Ed.2d at 480 n. 3. The circumstances of this case are distinguishable from those in Bruton. Here, unlike Bruton, the statements at issue do not involve a custodial confession by Permanian, and the statements were admissible under the coconspirator hearsay exception. Permanian's statements were also generally made under circumstances that indicate their reliability including that Permanian had personal knowledge of the incident, it was unlikely that Permanian's statements were founded upon a faulty recollection, the statements were against Permanian's penal interest given their context, and the statements did not contain any express factual assertion of defendant's guilt but only an inference of guilt. See Dutton v. Evans, 400 U.S. 74, 87-89, 91 S.Ct. 210, 219-20, 27 L.Ed.2d 213, 226-27 (1970) (holding that the sixth amendment confrontation clause was not violated by the admission of hearsay statements under a Georgia statute permitting an exception for statements by coconspirators where there was sufficient indicia of reliability supporting the truth of the statements); Goodman, 81 Ill.2d at 284-85, 41 Ill.Dec. 793, 408 N.E.2d 215 (finding hearsay statements admissible because there was sufficient indicia of reliability). Moreover, defendant was able to confront and cross-examine Rinaldi, who testified about the statements. See Ramey, 151 Ill.2d at 528, 177 Ill.Dec. 449, 603 N.E.2d 519 (holding that the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment is not violated by the admission of hearsay statements under the coconspirator exception to the hearsay rule, where the defendant was able to confront and cross-examine the witness who claimed that the statements at issue were made); Goodman, 81 Ill.2d at 284, 41 Ill.Dec. 793, 408 N.E.2d 215 (same). We therefore conclude that the use of Permanian's statements at defendant's trial did not deny defendant his constitutional rights under the confrontation clause of the sixth amendment.