Opinion ID: 1666834
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: co-defendant offers as evdence statement allegely made by appellant

Text: Over strenuous objections of appellant, on the grounds of relevancy, the trial court permitted Jonas Rambo to offer the following evidence in support of appellant's co-defendant, David Rambo. He (appellant) told me if I'd let David (the co-defendant) take the rap for a year, he'd get him out of jail. First told me he had a lawyer for both of them, then went to court and found he didn't have a lawyer for David, but he told me if I'd let David take the rap for both of them he would go ahead. He'd make enough money to get a good lawyer and get him out. We hold that the trial court did not commit error in admitting this testimony inasmuch as the testimony was quite relevant inasmuch as David Rambo, in testifying in his own behalf, corroborated the testimony of law enforcement officers as to what transpired at the airport after appellant and the co-defendant arrived from Dallas. It was David Rambo's contention that appellant was completely unknown to David Rambo before the two men met at the Dallas, Texas, airport, while on the other hand, appellant claimed that he and David Rambo were cousins, and that he had no knowledge that the suitcase contained marijuana, but he had agreed to carry the bag once the two reached Little Rock in return for $5.00 that appellant had agreed to pay him. It is obvious that David Rambo was seeking to convince the jury that he had participated in the drug running operation unknowingly and that his only function in the scheme was to take the rap for appellant in case appellant's activities were exposed and criminal charges resulted. Moreover, appellant specifically claimed that he had never seen the suitcase containing the drugs until Rambo placed the suitcase in the taxicab to be used in leaving the airport. In addition, Jonas Rambo supported his son's (David Rambo) testimony and rebutted the testimony of appellant. Jonas Rambo testified that, contrary to appellant's contention, the two defendants were not related. See: Rule 401, Arkansas Uniform Rules of Evidence. Appellant also claims that the trial court committed error in permitting Jonas Rambo to testify in behalf of his son, David Rambo, after David Rambo and appellant had completed presenting evidence in support of their respective cases. This contention is without merit inasmuch as it is well settled that a large discretion is vested in the trial judges as to the time of introducing testimony. Consequently, reversals will not be ordered unless it is shown that this discretion has been abused to the prejudice of the objecting party. No prejudice has been demonstrated. See: Marks v. State, 192 Ark. 881, 95 S.W.2d 634. Reversed and remanded. We agree: HARRIS, C. J., and FOGLMAN, HOLT and HICKMAN, JJ.