Opinion ID: 2041271
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Police Records

Text: The State introduced a handwritten police log during direct examination of the former town marshall. He identified the log book and testified that it contained reports of each call or complaint received by his office. He further testified that he was the keeper of such records, although he did not make all of the entries. Campbell claims the log book was inadmissible hearsay and that the State failed to establish a proper foundation to allow admission of the log book under the business records exception to the hearsay rule. He is correct. The business records exception permits the admission of documentary evidence if it is identified by its entrant or one under whose supervision it is kept and shown to be an original or first permanent entry, made in the routine course of business, at or near the time of the recorded transaction, by one having both a duty to so record and personal knowledge of the transaction represented by the entry. Jones v. State (1977), 267 Ind. 205, 209, 369 N.E.2d 418, 420, overruled on other grounds, Elmore v. State (1978), 269 Ind. 532, 382 N.E.2d 893. The sponsor of the exhibit need not have made the entry, filed it or have had firsthand knowledge of the transaction represented at the time of entry. He need only show that it is part of the records kept in the routine course of business and placed in the record by one authorized to do so, who had personal knowledge of the transaction represented at the time of entry. Id. The former marshall did not indicate the author of the entries or the time at which the entries were made. Therefore, the State failed to establish a proper foundation, and the trial court erred in admitting the log book over defendant's objections. However, we find that this error was harmless. The log book was introduced to show that a missing persons report concerning the victim had been filed by his family. This evidence was merely cumulative to direct testimony that the victim's family had not seen him since the attack.