Opinion ID: 1932965
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did the admission into evidence of the affidavit for the search warrant including the underlying facts and circumstances constitute reversible error?

Text: When putting on the State's case-in-chief, Officer Cochran was asked to identify the search warrant and the affidavit for the search warrant including the statement of the underlying facts and circumstances supporting the affidavit, the State then offered these documents into evidence. The defendant objected to these documents going to the jury on the ground that they contained hearsay information and deprived the defendant of his constitutional right to confront the witnesses. The objection was overruled and the document went into evidence as Exhibit 2 for the State. The admission into evidence of the affidavit for the search warrant, including the statement of the underlying facts, was reversible error under the recent case of Sisk v. State, 290 So.2d 608 (Miss. 1974). The admission of the underlying facts and circumstances was particularly objectionable because it stated that the person living in the house, Joe Earl Simpson, has a criminal background with this department, and it is believed he might be involved. Thus, the objectionable evidence linked the defendant to a known criminal, indicating guilt by association. These same documents were introduced into evidence on the motion to suppress which was heard preliminary to trial on the merits. After the trial judge overruled the motion to suppress and had received in evidence on the suppression hearing the affidavit for the search warrant and other documents, there was no need to introduce these documents on the hearing of the case in chief. It is the judge's responsibility to determine the admissibility of the fruits of the search  not the jury. The instructions given by the trial judge directed the jury that the evidence which you are to consider consists of the testimony of the witness and the exhibits offered and received. Because of the admission into evidence of the affidavit for the search warrant for consideration by the jury, this cause is reversed and remanded for a new trial. REVERSED AND REMANDED. PATTERSON and INZER, P. JJ., and SMITH and BROOM, JJ., concur. SUGG, ROBERTSON, WALKER and LEE, JJ., dissent.