Opinion ID: 1585598
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did the Trial Court Err in Admitting Hearsay Testimony From Witness William E. Bullock?

Text: William E. Bullock, father-in-law of the deceased, was at Betty's Grocery the day of the shooting. He was allowed over objection to twice state that he heard someone in the crowd around Alford's car say that Alford had a gun. The second reference to the statement came when Bullock testified that after hearing this voice in the crowd he saw Johnny Breland go into the store to get a gun. The second time witness Bullock related the following out-of-court statement: A. I want to add to it, they said the man had a gun. He  that's what I  I heard them say he's got a gun, and that's when I seen Johnny run back to [the] store to get the  get the pistol. The trial court ruled that the statement was admissible under the res gestae exception to the hearsay rule. This testimony by Bullock may not be hearsay since it was offered only to show the reason Breland went to get a gun, and not to show that Alford actually had a gun. See Graves v. State, 492 So.2d 562, 565 (Miss. 1986); Gates v. State, 484 So.2d 1002, 1007-8 (Miss. 1986). We have concern with the admissibility of the statements; however, the error if any, was harmless in that the evidence was otherwise clear that Alford did have a gun. This assignment of error is denied. Finding no reversible error after reviewing the record as made in the trial court below, the judgment of the Circuit Court of Marion County being a conviction of murder and a sentence to serve life in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, be and the same is hereby affirmed. AFFIRMED. WALKER, C.J., and ROY NOBLE LEE and HAWKINS, P.JJ., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, ANDERSON and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur.