Opinion ID: 458722
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Conversation Between Diane Hise and Debbie Hill

Text: 39 Defendants' final evidentiary challenge concerns the admissibility of the tape of a conversation that occurred between Debbie Hill and Hise after Hise's arrest. Hise called Hill from jail on the evening of February 22, 1983, the day agents arrested her. During the course of the conversation, Debbie Hill whispered Diana Elliott's name and stated, It's gone for sure. Hise responded, Oh, my god. As previously set forth, agents searching Elliott's house found a lockbox, to which Larry Hill had a key, that contained approximately one and three-quarters pounds of PCP and two smaller packages of cocaine. 40 Hise and Hill contend that the court abused its discretion by admitting the recording of this conversation because it was hearsay and did not fall within the co-conspirator exception set forth in rule 801(d)(2)(E). The merits of defendants' contentions are irrelevant because the court admitted the conversation under rule 801(d)(2)(A), not rule 801(d)(2)(E). Rule 801(d)(2)(A) provides for the admissibility of statements made by a party opponent and offered against that individual. The district court correctly determined that the conversation between Hill and Hise fell within this exception because, during the conversation, both parties made statements indicating their knowledge that defendants used Elliott's house to store drugs. 41 Diana Elliott also claims that the court abused its discretion in admitting this conversation because it had an unfair prejudicial effect on her by suggesting that she must have possessed the same knowledge as Hill and Hise about the presence of drugs in her home. The judge carefully guarded against this inference by instructing the jury that the conversation was offered against Hill and Hise and may not be considered as to any other defendants. Under these circumstances, we hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting the tape of this conversation.