Opinion ID: 1702111
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hearsay Testimony of Edna Drake

Text: During both its case-in-chief and its case-in-rebuttal, and over the vigorous objection of Quimby's lawyer, the State produced police detective Edna Drake who testified extensively and graphically on each occasion as to statements made to her by the child describing the various ways her father had abused her during the incident in 1988 as well as during the prior episode in August of 1986. Each of these statements is garden variety hearsay. In this posture, the admissibility of today's hearsay turns upon whether or not it was admissible as an exception to the hearsay rule. Our hearsay rule, M.R.E. 802, states in no uncertain terms that [h]earsay is not admissible except as provided by law. The prohibition is loud and clear. Hearsay is incompetent evidence. Murphy v. State, 453 So.2d 1290, 1294 (Miss. 1984). M.R.E. 803 [Hearsay Exceptions; Availability of Declarant Immaterial] provides us with a laundry list of hearsay exceptions which are not excluded by the hearsay rule even though the declarant is available as a witness. Since the victim testified as a witness, the admissibility of the hearsay statements describing the abuse in 1988 for which Quimby was on trial was governed by Rule 803. Although we do not finally decide these issues, it does not appear that any of the child's statements to Edna Drake fall within the scope and contours of M.R.E. 803(1) [Present Sense Impression], 803(2) [Excited Utterance], 803(3) [Then Existing Mental, Emotional, or Physical Condition], or 803(4) [Statements for Purposes of Medical Diagnosis or Treatment]. A child victim's hearsay could be admissible under M.R.E. 803(24) if the prerequisites for this rule are satisfied. In the Interest of C.B., 574 So.2d 1369, 1373 (Miss. 1990). The five (5) requirements for admissibility under the residual or catch-all exception found in Rule 803(24) are: (1) trustworthiness; (2) materiality; (3) probative value; (4) the interests of justice, and (5) notice. Findings must be made on the record. Assuming but not deciding that today's hearsay met each of these five (5) requirements, Drake's testimony divulging to the fact finder the child's description of the recent acts of molestation in 1988 was inadmissible because the trial judge failed to make findings on the record required by 803(24). In the Interest of C.B., supra, 574 So.2d 1369 (Miss. 1990); Cummins v. State, 515 So.2d 869 (Miss. 1987). M.R.E. 804 [Hearsay Exceptions; Declarant Unavailable] furnishes a shorter but similar list of hearsay exceptions potentially available when the declarant is not available. Drake's hearsay testimony divulging the child's description to her of substantially similar acts of abuse committed in 1986 was also inadmissible because the trial judge, once again, failed to make findings on the record required by the residual or catch-all exception found in M.R.E. 804(b)(5). The State acknowledges that 804(b)(5) is an analogue to 803(24). Rule 804(b)(5) is identical to Rule 803(24) in both language and intent. 804(b)(5) is implicated in this case because of the definition of unavailability contained in 804(a)(3) which states, inter alia, that: `Unavailability as a witness' includes situations in which the declarant:    (3) Testifies to a lack of memory of the subject matter of his statement;    His daughter testified during direct examination she did not remember the acts of abuse in 1986, but she remembered talking to the police at that time about her father. The State argued below and contends on appeal that the child was unavailable as a witness by virtue of the definition of unavailability contained in 804(a)(3). This argument has some appeal since the child, at least with respect to the prior abuse in 1986, testified to a lack of memory of the subject matter. Nevertheless, the fact that the child could not remember the earlier incident doesn't change the admissibility of this hearsay. The problem is that a finding of unavailability should be specifically made by the trial judge and placed on the record. Regrettably, such was not done in this case. This Court declines to make a determination of unavailability because it is our duty to review findings and not to make them. Accordingly, we will leave to the trial judge the task of determining the question of unavailability as well as whether or not the hearsay in question is admissible as an exception under 804(b)(5). The State argues that because 804(b)(5) was shown to the court and purportedly read by the circuit judge, it is apparent the court found the proffered testimony admissible under the rule in question. We decline the State's invitation to find explicit that which, at best, is merely implicit. A trial court is entitled to a considerable measure of judicial discretion in deciding whether or not to admit hearsay evidence under either 803(24) or 804(b)(5), and a determination of admissibility will not be overturned on appeal absent an abuse of that discretion. These observations, however, presuppose the presence of findings made on the record. We, likewise, reject the State's invitation to remand this case under our Rule 14(b) solely for the limited purpose of making the appropriate findings a matter of record. We must reverse and remand for a new trial with directions to the trial court on remand to determine whether the hearsay statements testified to by Edna Drake, both during the State's case-in-chief and during its case-in-rebuttal, are admissible hearsay. The trial judge should utilize the guidelines issued by this Court in the recent case of Griffith v. State, 584 So.2d 383 (Miss. 1991), a case involving felonious sexual and digital penetration. Additional guidance for the trial judge to use in determining whether or not out-of-court statements made by a victim of child sexual abuse should be admitted into evidence is found in In the Interest of C.B., supra . Prior to March 27, 1991, there was no hearsay exception under M.R.E. 803 which specifically encompassed the tender years exception to the hearsay rule. On March 27, 1991, a 25th exception was added to Rule 803. M.R.E. 803(25) states that [a] statement made by a child of tender years describing any act of sexual contact performed with or on the child by another is admissible in evidence if: (a) the court finds, in a hearing conducted outside the presence of the jury, that the time, content, and circumstances of the statement provide substantial indicia of reliability; and (b) the child either (1) testifies at the proceedings; or (2) is unavailable as a witness: provided, that when the child is unavailable as a witness, such statement may be admitted only if there is corroborative evidence of the act. This amendment, of course, was not available on April 4, 1989, the date of Quimby's trial. On remand, once the trial court determines whether or not the child is unavailable to testify, the court should determine whether the hearsay statements made by the child to Edna Drake are admissible under 803(25). Griffith v. State, supra . Finally, the lower court should examine the child's statements to Edna Drake in light of Rule 804(a)(6), another recent addition to our rules of evidence. By virtue of 804(a)(6) a declarant is unavailable if (6) [i]n the case of a child, [there is] the substantial likelihood that the emotional or psychological health of the witness would be substantially impaired if the child had to testify in the physical presence of the accused. Griffith v. State, supra . We are fully aware this Court, as a court of review, sits far removed from the playing field and the heat of the battle. We are, likewise, aware that jurors are often unpredictable in their evaluation of evidence. Nevertheless, from our vantage point we are left with the impression that resort to the questionable testimony elicited here was unnecessary. This cause is reversed and remanded. REVERSED AND REMANDED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON and BANKS, JJ., concur. PITTMAN, J., concurs as to the second issue only. McRAE, J., dissents without separate written opinion.