Opinion ID: 1707193
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court erred in admitting coconspirators' hearsay statements.[1]

Text: ¶ 25. Ilene contends that the trial judge erred in allowing hearsay statements of Cork prior to establishing the existence of a conspiracy. In Ponthieux v. State, 532 So.2d 1239 (Miss.1988), this Court held that before a co-conspirator's testimony could be admitted under M.R.E. 801(d)(2)(E), the prosecution had the obligation to establish the preliminary fact of the existence of the conspiracy.... Id. at 1244. Ilene claims that it is not enough that the State introduced predicate proof of a conspiracy between Cork and Barnett, or Cork, Barnett, and Davis. She argues that the State had to establish proof of the existence of a conspiracy which included her before extraneous hearsay statements of co-conspirators can qualify for admission as non-hearsay under M.R.E. 801(d)(2)(E). ¶ 26. In determining that the trial judge did not err in allowing Cork's testimony, the Court of Appeals made the following analysis applying the holding in Ponthieux: At the trial level, the prosecution is entitled to offer evidence of plan and motive to employ the Rule 104 procedure to establish Rule 801(d)(2)(E) admissibility by showing that a conspiracy preceded consummation of the principal offense. Ponthieux v. State, 532 So.2d 1239, 1244 (Miss.1988). This is especially true where the defendant is charged with having hired the victim killed, and the prosecution is proceeding on an accessory-before-the-fact theory. Id. The circuit court is limited to the evidence offered at the Rule 104 hearing. Id. However, on appeal, this Court will search the entire record to determine whether the preliminary fact of conspiracy has been established. It is to the entire record that we employ a clearly erroneous standard of review. Id. Based upon the circuit court's standards, prior to Cork's testimony, it was established that the dead body of Jerry Tavares was found on a dirt road close to his convenience store. His body had been shot three times by a .9 millimeter weapon. Evidence showed that Jerry Tavares died as a result of .9 millimeter gunshots. An acquaintance of both Jerry and Ilene Tavares testified that both had stated that they would pay someone to have the other killed. Sheriff Steed testified that Cork told him where the gun and clip were. Steed stated that both the gun and clip were recovered from a stream. Steed testified as to the phone records from the Little Mountain service station to the Tavares's [sic] home. Steed also testified as to the location of the body. Finally, Steed stated that the arrests of Tavares, Barnett and Davis were immediately made after the conversation with Cork. Based on the above-mentioned evidence, we find evidence supporting a conspiracy was sufficiently proved prior to Cork's testimony. Also, based upon our broader standards upon appeal, in the record we find substantial evidence to support the conspiracy to kill Jerry Tavares. We find that the existence of a conspiracy is supported by the following: (1) the location of the bullet wounds in Tavares's body; (2) the location of the body; (3) the evidence of the phone call made from the service station in Little Mountain to Tavares's home; (4) the location of the gun and the clip found in the creek; (5) the $1,500.00 check from J.R.'s Hwy. 12 Mart signed by Tavares made payable to Billy Barnett; (6) the $500.00 check from Glen Davis to Bennie Cork; (7) the cash-in deposit ticket in the amount of $495.00 into the checking account of Glen Davis; (8) the statement by Mark Smith that he had been approached by Barnett to kill Jerry Tavares for money; and (9) the fact that the gun traded to Barnett by Smith was the .9 millimeter used in the murder. We find that the evidence was not clearly erroneous as to the circuit court's finding of the existence of a conspiracy between Tavares, Cork, Barnett and Davis. ¶ 27. Upon review of the entire record, the Court of Appeals was correct in its determination that the trial judge's finding of the existence of a conspiracy was not clearly erroneous and does not constitute reversible error.