Opinion ID: 2638538
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statement of the Confidential Witness

Text: ¶ 12 In his motion for a new trial, defendant claimed that following the trial, the defense was able to locate the actual third occupant of Russell Thornwall's truck. Defendant sought to introduce statements from this witness through the testimony of a defense investigator, Dennis Couch, because the witness was purportedly tremendously frightened to come forward. According to Mr. Couch's affidavit, the witness stated that, though he had not been involved in the shooting, it was he, not Peter Montoya, who was the front seat passenger in the truck and that Russell Thornwall was the shooter. ¶ 13 Since the witness himself refused to testify, the testimony of Mr. Couch consists of out-of-court statements being offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted, and thus is paradigmatic hearsay. Utah R. Evid. 801. The statements of the confidential witness, therefore, are inadmissible unless they fall within the ambit of one of the hearsay exceptions. ¶ 14 Defendant suggests that the confidential witness's statements satisfy the statement against interest exception because, by so attesting, the witness places himself in the same position in the truck as the defendant, and consequently opens himself up to possible criminal prosecution. See Utah R. Evid. 804. However, the statement against interest exception, as with all of the exceptions under Utah Rule of Evidence 804, initially requires the unavailability of the witness. See Utah R. Evid. 804(a). Defendant has not shown that the confidential witness is unavailable for purposes of this hearsay exception. ¶ 15 We have previously stated that for a witness to be constitutionally unavailable, it must be practically impossible to produce the witness in court. It is not enough to show that the witness would be uncomfortable on the stand or that testifying would be stressful. Every reasonable effort must be made to produce the witness. State v. Webb, 779 P.2d 1108, 1113 (Utah 1989) (citations omitted). This requires the proponent of the out-of-court statement to do his utmost to procure the declarant's attendance by process or other reasonable means. Utah R. Evid. 804(a)(5). ¶ 16 Thus, in general, a witness will not be found unavailable until the proponent of the evidence demonstrates that he has used all reasonable means at his disposal to secure the attendance of the witness. See State v. White, 671 P.2d 191, 193 (Utah 1983) (finding witness was not unavailable where defense counsel merely stated that the witness was likely to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination; the witness had to take the stand and personally assert the privilege for his testimony to be unavailable); State v. Chapman, 655 P.2d 1119, 1121-22 (Utah 1982) (holding witness not unavailable where state made no attempt to secure attendance of the out-of-state witness through the Uniform Act to Secure Attendance of Witnesses from Without a State in Criminal Proceeding); State v. Drawn, 791 P.2d 890, 893 (Utah Ct.App.1990) (holding that where the state had subpoenaed each witness three times prior to trial, these efforts were sufficient to demonstrate unavailability for purposes of the hearsay exception); Brown v. Harry Heathman, Inc., 744 P.2d 1016, 1018 (Utah Ct.App.1987) (finding service of process not necessary to show unavailability where reasonable, but ultimately unsuccessful, efforts were made to ascertain the address of a witness whose whereabouts were completely unknown). ¶ 17 Here, defendant has merely asserted that the confidential witness is fearful to come forward. Defendant has not demonstrated that he made any effort to compel the witness's attendance at the hearing on the motion for a new trial. Therefore, defendant has failed to show that the witness is unavailable for purposes of the statement against interest exception. Defendant has not indicated any other potentially applicable hearsay exception under which this testimony would be admissible, and we find none. We turn next to an examination of Jason Thornwall's statement.