Opinion ID: 1310456
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Testimony of Donna Mills.

Text: Donna Mills was the only witness at Coppola's trial who described the preparation and execution of the plans to rob Mrs. Hatchell and who related the events which occurred after the crimes had been committed. Mills testified that as the group proceeded to Newport News to commit the robbery, Coppola's wife, Karen, cautioned her not to mention anyone's name after she entered the Hatchells' home. Mills further stated that at the motel room where the group met shortly before the crimes were committed Karen asked her whether she had some makeup to put on Frank. Mills also testified that after the murder, when only she and Karen were together, Karen said Frank asked her to buy him some new shoes. Coppola objected to the admission of these statements at trial and argues that they were inadmissible because of the provisions of Code § 19.2-271.2 which prohibit a wife from testifying against her husband in a criminal case without his consent. Coppola relies upon dicta in McMillan v. Commonwealth, 188 Va. 429, 50 S.E.2d 428 (1948), that an extrajudicial statement made by one spouse as such against the other is . . . inadmissible. Id. at 433, 50 S.E.2d at 430. But, in McMillan, three other cases were discussed, Allen v. Commonwealth, 171 Va. 499, 198 S.E. 894 (1938); State v. Kosanke, 23 Wash.2d 211, 160 P.2d 541 (1945), and State v. Reid, 178 N.C. 745, 101 S.E. 104 (1919), to the effect that where declarations of a wife are made at the request of the accused husband, or with his knowledge and consent, they are admissible. In such instances the extrajudicial statements are made by the wife as the husband's agent rather than as his spouse. We approve the rule that where the wife's extrajudicial statements are made with the actual or constructive knowledge and with the express or tacit consent of the husband, they are admissible in evidence against him. Here, the first two statements related by Mills were made by Karen in the presence of Coppola and with his apparent knowledge and approval. While the third statement, that Coppola had asked his wife to purchase new shoes for him, was not made in Coppola's presence, Mills had previously testified that Coppola had told Karen, when all four conspirators were together, to go get him another pair of shoes. So the subsequent statement by Karen merely repeated what Mills had already heard Coppola himself say. We hold that the trial court did not err in admitting the statements into evidence.