Opinion ID: 438942
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: admissibility of exculpatory statements.

Text: 20 Appellant Ospina contends that the trial judge erred in refusing to admit into evidence certain statements against penal interest made by co-defendants Carrera and Cabezas which were exculpatory as to him. These statements were made to customs inspector Jesse Ibarra after their arrest and indicated that the cocaine belonged to them and to no one else. 21 The prosecution was not permitted to use these statements in their case against Carrera and Cabezas after it was determined in a suppression hearing that Miranda warnings had not been given. When Carrera and Cabezas refused to testify on behalf of Ospina, and Ospina made an offer of proof to admit the statements to Ibarra into evidence under Rule 804(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, the trial judge found that he had no basis for determining that there's any trustworthiness to be given to such statements by Mr. Cabezas or Mr. Carrera under the circumstances. 22 The determination of admissibility of statements against penal interest under Evidence Rule 804(b)(3) is committed to the sound discretion of the trial court, and should not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. Further, the showing of corroborating circumstances must do more than tend to indicate the trustworthiness of the statements; they must clearly indicate it. Factors relevant to trustworthiness include the time of the declaration and the party to whom it was made, the existence of corroborating evidence, the extent to which the declaration is really against the declarant's interest, and the availability of the declarant as a witness. United States v. Rhodes, 713 F.2d 463, 473 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 535, 78 L.Ed.2d 715 (1983); United States v. Satterfield, 572 F.2d 687, 690 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 840, 99 S.Ct. 128, 58 L.Ed.2d 138 (1978); United States v. Hoyos, 573 F.2d 1111, 1115 (9th Cir.1978); United States v. Oropeza, 564 F.2d 316, 325 (9th Cir.1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 1080, 98 S.Ct. 1276, 55 L.Ed.2d 788 (1978). 23 Carrera and Cabezas made the statements after their arrest and after they had already denied any knowledge. The statements lacked spontaneity in that the declarants specifically requested to talk with Ibarra to make the statements after all of the co-defendants had been left together in a detention room. Under the circumstances, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in finding that trustworthiness was not clearly indicated.