Opinion ID: 359686
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Instruction on Coconspirator's Statements.

Text: 76 The Greenes contend that it was plain error for the trial court to give a cautionary instruction to the jury which permitted the jury to weigh the admissibility of the coconspirators' statements. This Circuit has recently held that Fed.R.Evid. 104(a) requires that questions of the admissibility of coconspirators' hearsay statements be determined by the trial court and, thus, that the jury no longer has a role in weighing the admissibility of such statements. United States v. Macklin, 573 F.2d 1046, 1048 (8th Cir. 1978); United States v. Bell, 573 F.2d 1040, 1043 (8th Cir. 1978). However, this case was tried before our decisions in Macklin and Bell which are to be applied only prospectively. In the absence of an appellate decision on point, we cannot say that the cautionary instruction constituted plain error. See United States v. Smith, et al., 578 F.2d 1227, 1233 (8th Cir. 1978). 77