Opinion ID: 567977
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Court's admission of unsworn testimony

Text: 48 The defendant charges that his constitutional right to confront witnesses was jeopardized because the DEA agent testifying at the sentencing hearing was not placed under oath by the court. Once again we note that Blythe did not object to the court's acceptance of testimonial evidence from the unsworn witness. The defendant was also advised that, by pleading guilty, he would waive his right to confront and cross-examine the witnesses against him. 49 The rule that a witness be sworn before testifying does not apply to sentencing proceedings. Fed.R.Evid. 1101(d)(3). Once the guilt of a defendant has been established, the sentencing judge may, consistent with the due process clause, consider responsible unsworn testimony. United States v. Harris, 558 F.2d 366, 373 (7th Cir.1977), quoted in United States v. Barnes, 907 F.2d 693, 695 n. 3 (7th Cir.1990). Although unreliable hearsay statements of a confidential informant may be improper bases for the court's reliance, see Barnes, 907 F.2d at 696-97, Blythe gives us no reason to question the integrity or reliability of the testimony of the DEA agent. We hold that no due process violation occurred because of the sentencing court's reliance on the unsworn testimony of a DEA agent. See also United States v. Nesbitt, 852 F.2d 1502, 1521 (7th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 1015, 109 S.Ct. 808, 102 L.Ed.2d 798 (1989).