Opinion ID: 2308293
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of Mr. Matheson's Statements

Text: Likewise, Mr. Matheson's statements to Det. Barry fell within the excited utterance exception to the rule against hearsay. At trial, the state argued that it proffered the statements to show that Det. Barry took the actions he did (specifically driving with Mr. Matheson to the hospital) based on the representations that were made to him by Mr. Matheson. Additionally, the state asserted that Mr. Matheson's statements to Det. Barry fell within the excited utterance exception to the rule against hearsay. The trial justice ruled that the excited utterance exception applied because according to Detective Barry's testimony, [Mr. Matheson] appeared very emotionally upset, breathing quickly, repeating the same words over and over. Detective Barry observed Mr. Matheson from a close distance, [it] appeared that he was crying, he seemed mad, his body language suggested that he was in an emotional state of mind. As a result, the trial justice stated that even if the statements were offered for the truth of the matter asserted, they were admissible under the excited utterance exception. The trial justice's ruling in this regard is a patently sustainable exercise of his discretion.