Opinion ID: 1742113
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the trial court committed reversible error by admitting into evidence the vortice tape in violation of thomas' right to confront the witnesses against him.

Text: ¶ 18. Thomas contends that the trial court erroneously admitted the taped conversation between Vortice and Thomas made on September 27, 1995. He argues that the admission of said tape violated his constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him. Thomas argues that he suffered from his inability to cross-examine Vortice as to any promises made to him by the State's agents in order to induce him to have and tape the conversation with him. Thomas' contention is that the asserted confrontation clause violation is not cured by the limiting instruction which the judge gave which indicated the statements of Vortice on the tape were to provide context for his statements. ¶ 19. The State argues that Thomas objected at trial only on the ground that the State was offering a copy of the tape, not an original, and is now expanding his objection on appeal, citing Fleming v. State, 604 So.2d 280, 292 (Miss. 1992), as authority. As such the objection was not before the trial court, thereby negating the trial court's opportunity to address the issue. ¶ 20. Thomas did indeed object to the introduction of the tape into evidence through Leon Williams' testimony on the ground that the tape was not the original. The State, however, is incorrect in its assertion that Thomas did not bring the confrontation clause issue up at trial, as he objected on that ground when the State initially sought to get the tape into evidence through Sammy Aldrige's testimony earlier in the trial. The judge halted Aldridge's testimony and asked the State to do further research before he would admit the tape into evidence. The tape was eventually admitted into evidence through the testimony of Leon Williams. As this issue was indeed before the court when the tape was initially sought to be entered into evidence, the State's argument becomes much less persuasive. ¶ 21. On the merits, however, Thomas' argument that the admission of the Vortice tape violated his right to confront the witnesses against him must fail. A criminal defendant is guaranteed the right to confront the witnesses against him. U.S. Const. amend. VI; Miss. Const. art. 3, § 26. See Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969); Pointer v. Texas, 380 U.S. 400, 85 S.Ct. 1065, 13 L.Ed.2d 923 (1965); Ahmad v. State, 603 So.2d 843, 847 (Miss. 1992). Additionally, this Court reviews admission of evidence for an abuse of discretion. Butler v. State, 592 So.2d 983, 986 (Miss. 1991); Stromas v. State, 618 So.2d 116, 119 (Miss. 1993). Unless the trial judge's discretion is so abused as to be prejudicial to the accused, this Court will not reverse his ruling. Parker v. State, 606 So.2d 1132, 1136 (Miss. 1992); Shearer v. State, 423 So.2d 824, 826 (Miss. 1982), citing Page v. State, 295 So.2d 279 (Miss. 1974). The discretion of the trial judge must be exercised within the boundaries of the Mississippi Rules of Evidence. Johnston v. State, 567 So.2d 237, 238 (Miss. 1990). This issue is controlled by this Court's holding in Stromas, a case which in which the facts are comparable to the facts of the case sub judice. ¶ 22. In Stromas, an undercover agent along with an informant met Emmett Stromas, Sr., in front of Stromas' apartment in Hattiesburg for the purpose of buying cocaine. Stromas, 618 So.2d at 118. Stromas entered the undercover agent's car and the three of them drove to another Hattiesburg apartment complex where Stromas was to pick up the drugs. Id. During this ride, the three's conversation regarding the price and amount of cocaine to be purchased was recorded by a Unitel recording device worn by the undercover agent. Id. Once at the complex, the undercover agent gave Stromas $70.00. Id. Stromas then exited the car and returned seven or eight minutes later with some cocaine. Id. The three drove back to Stromas' apartment; their conversation was again recorded. Id. Stromas was indicted on the charge of sale of a controlled substance. Id. At trial, the State introduced the tape recording made by the undercover agent. Id. The undercover agent and other police officers testified as to the authenticity of the recording and the identification of the substance purchased as cocaine. Id. Importantly, the informant did not testify. Id. The State claimed that she had moved her residence and could not be located. Id. The jury found Stromas guilty on the charge of sale of a controlled substance. Id. Stromas contended that the State withheld the information of the informant's whereabouts, thus abridging his right to confront the witnesses against him. Id. at 121. This Court stated that Stromas does not allege any bad faith by the State, but simply argues that because the State could not locate [the informant], his defense was fatally impaired. The State provided evidence as to its good faith attempt to locate [the informant] and the trial court did not abuse his discretion in finding that Stromas's right to confrontation had been satisfied. Id. at 122 (emphasis added). ¶ 23. In the case sub judice, the tape was authenticated by Sammy Aldridge, the officer who interviewed Vortice, and Leon Williams who was present at the interview and was the person in Vortice's residence who listened to the conversation and recorded it. Both had the opportunity to hear Thomas and recognize his voice and both had listened to the tapes, in addition to Williams hearing and taping the conversation between Vortice and Thomas. Additionally, both testified as to the chain of custody of the tape. Vortice's unavailability is a given, as he had committed suicide; and, as such, there is no allegation that the State in any way acted in bad faith, as was the charge in Stromas. ¶ 24. The judge gave a limiting, missing witness instruction which indicated that the statements of Vortice were for the sole purpose of providing context to Thomas' statements. As such, the tape is clearly admissible under our rules of evidence because the out of court statements of Vortice on the tape were admitted into evidence for a reason other than for the truth asserted in those statements. Miss. R. Evid. 801(c). ¶ 25. Beyond that, the contested statement constitutes harmless error in the instant case because of the overwhelming evidence of guilt. This Court has held that: The basic test for harmless error in the federal constitutional realm goes back to Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). The Chapman test is whether it appears beyond a reasonable doubt that the error complained of did not contribute to the verdict obtained. ( quoted in Yates v. Evatt, 500 U.S. 391, 392, 111 S.Ct. 1884, 1886, 114 L.Ed.2d 432, 448 (1991)). The Yates Court further clarified that the inquiry is not whether the jury considered the improper evidence or law at all, but rather, whether that error was unimportant in relation to everything else the jury considered on the issue in question, as revealed in the record. Yates, 500 U.S. at 403, 111 S.Ct. at 1887, 114 L.Ed.2d at 449... . Wilcher v. State, 635 So.2d 789, 798 (Miss. 1993). In the instant case, the evidence of Thomas' guilt was indeed overwhelming, considering specifically the testimony of his co-conspirators, Clark and Fontroy, and the inculpating conversations between Thomas and his co-conspirators recorded on three tapes admitted into evidence. Thus, assuming arguendo that the admission of the Vortice tape into evidence was error, such was harmless. ¶ 26. On the authority of Stromas and our rules of evidence, this Court holds that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in allowing the Vortice tape into evidence; and, if such was error, it was harmless. Thus, this assignment of error is without merit.