Opinion ID: 720250
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Tape Recorded Conversation Between Valerie and Jacqueline Fox.

Text: 25 On February 9, 1994, as part of her cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (the ATF), Valerie Fox placed a phone call to her sister Jacqueline. This 23-minute phone call was recorded, and a transcript was prepared at the request of the ATF. During their conversation, Jacqueline repeatedly stated that the drugs involved belonged to her, and that Bell had no knowledge of them. Jacqueline also indicated, both on the tape and in her trial testimony, that she believed the conversation was being taped. 26 After Bell's counsel indicated his intent to introduce the tape recording at trial, the Government moved in limine to exclude the introduction of the tape recording as an exhibit. The district court found that the tape constituted inadmissible hearsay, but that counsel for the Defendant could impeach Jacqueline through the use of the prior inconsistent statements reflected in the transcript of the tape recorded conversation. The court ruled that the transcript would be used in lieu of the actual tape, due to the difficulty of pinpointing the exact inconsistent statement in the audio version of the tape. 27 Bell contends that the tape qualifies as admissible hearsay pursuant to the hearsay exception of Rule 803(24) of the Federal Rules of Evidence (the catch-all exception). Bell asserts that the catch-all exception applies, as the taped conversation most closely resembles Rule 803(3)'s exception for statements of then-existing state of mind. We review de novo a district court's interpretation of the Federal Rules of Evidence. United States v. Hove, 52 F.3d 233, 236 (9th Cir.1995). 28 Rule 803(24) provides that a statement not covered by other exceptions to the hearsay rule may be admissible if it has circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness and the court determines that (A) the statement is offered as evidence of a material fact; (B) the statement is more probative on the point for which it is offered than any other evidence which the proponent can provide; and (C) admission of the statement serves the general purposes of the rules and the interests of justice. [The trial judge has a fair degree of latitude in deciding whether to admit statements under Fed.R.Evid. 803(24). United States v. Valdez-Soto, 31 F.3d 1467, 1471 (9th Cir.1994), cert. denied, 115 S.Ct. 1969 (1995). 29 A central concern in the admission of hearsay evidence is the lack of reliability. This lack of reliability may be overcome by the statement's resemblance to another of the hearsay exceptions. Bell points the court to Rule 803(3), asserting that this statement is reliable as it most closely resembles the exception for a declarant's statement of then existing state of mind. 30 Under Rule 803(3), the court must weigh three factors in determining admissibility: (1) contemporaneousness, (2) chance to reflect, and (3) relevance. United States v. Faust, 850 F.2d 575, 585 (9th Cir.1988). Here, the statements made by Jacqueline regarding ownership of the drugs are relevant to the case; however, the taped conversation patently fails under the other two factors. The passage of a year between her arrest and the phone conversation and Jacqueline's opportunity for reflection render this statement unreliable. The conversation does not closely resemble statements admissible under Rule 803(3)'s exception to the hearsay exclusion. The district court properly limited counsel's use of a transcript of the tape recording to impeach Jacqueline's inconsistent trial testimony. 31 The district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that the tape recording of the conversation, itself, was inadmissible hearsay and not within the catch-all exception of Rule 803(24). The allowed use of the transcript of the tape recording for impeachment purposes was appropriate and put Jacqueline's statements exculpating Bell before the jury as prior inconsistent statements, but not as substantive evidence, due to their hearsay nature. 32