Opinion ID: 571328
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission As Statements of Co-Conspirator.

Text: 25 A statement of a co-conspirator is admissible against the other conspirators pursuant to the terms of Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E) which provides in relevant part that [a] statement is not hearsay if ... [t]he statement is offered against a party and is ... (E) a statement by a coconspirator of a party during the course of and in furtherance of a conspiracy. Counsel for defendants argued at trial that Kashanian's statement was not in furtherance of the conspiracy and, if anything, tended to thwart the conspiracy. The trial court admitted the statement, presumably on the basis that it was made in furtherance of the conspiracy. 26 We review the court's finding that the statements were made in furtherance of the conspiracy for clear error. United States v. Smith, 893 F.2d 1573, 1577 (9th Cir.1990) (citing United States v. Smith, 790 F.2d 789, 794 (9th Cir.1986)). Under the clearly erroneous standard, the district court's factual findings should not be disturbed unless the appellate court is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. United States v. Yarbrough, 852 F.2d 1522, 1535 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 866, 109 S.Ct. 171, 102 L.Ed.2d 140 (1988). 27 The Ninth Circuit has strictly construed the in furtherance of the conspiracy requirement. See United States v. Foster, 711 F.2d 871 (9th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1103, 104 S.Ct. 1602, 80 L.Ed.2d 132 (1984); United States v. Fielding, 645 F.2d 719, 726 (9th Cir.1981) (holding that the in furtherance requirement has remained viable). Mere conversations between co-conspirators, or merely narrative declarations among them, are not made in furtherance of a conspiracy. United States v. Layton, 720 F.2d 548, 556-57 (9th Cir.1983) (Layton I ), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1069, 104 S.Ct. 1423, 79 L.Ed.2d 748 (1984) (narrations of past events inadmissible while expressions of future intent are admissible); United States v. Eubanks, 591 F.2d 513, 521 (9th Cir.1979). To be in furtherance, the statements must further the common objectives of the conspiracy. United States v. Yarbrough, 852 F.2d at 1535. Examples of admissible co-conspirator statements include: statements made to induce enlistment or further participation in the group's activities; statements made to prompt further action on the part of conspirators; statements made to reassure members of a conspiracy's continued existence; statements made to allay a co-conspirator's fears; and statements made to keep co-conspirators abreast of an ongoing conspiracy's activities. See id. at 1535-36 and cases cited therein. When inquiring whether a statement was made in furtherance of a conspiracy, we do not focus on its actual effect in advancing the goals of the conspiracy, but on the declarant's intent in making the statement. United States v. Zavala-Serra, 853 F.2d 1512, 1516 (9th Cir.1988). 28 We are asked to review the admissibility of the confidential informant's testimony repeating Kashanian's statement that he was uncomfortable because of previous dealings he had with Nazemian and Ebtehaj, and that he was unwilling to do business on credit with them because he was still owed over one hundred thousand dollars from a previous transaction. The ultimate effect of Kashanian's statements was to thwart the part of the conspiracy which involved procuring the heroin from Kashanian in Pakistan. The government argues, however, that since the statement conveyed a condition of doing business, i.e., advance payment, it was intended to facilitate the common objective of consummating a deal by prompting such advance payment. While that rationale arguably applies to Kashanian's statement that he would require advance payment, it does not extend to his statement that such payment would be required because of nonpayment during prior drug transactions with Ebtehaj and Nazemian. The latter statement is purely historical, with no connection or purpose related to the conspiracy in question. It is therefore distinguishable from cases cited by the government such as United States v. Friedman, 593 F.2d 109 (9th Cir.1979) (holding that that co-conspirators' discussion of their displeasure with one of the conspirators for taking excessive profit in an ongoing conspiracy was in furtherance of that conspiracy). 29 We conclude that the district court's finding that the statement was made in furtherance of the conspiracy was clearly erroneous. Thus, the statement was not admissible based on the co-conspirator exception set out in Rule 801(d)(2)(E). 30