Opinion ID: 1060523
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Admissibility of Jonathan Montgomery's Statements

Text: Carruthers next complains that the trial court erred in allowing the State's witness Chris Hines to testify about the statements of Jonathan Montgomery. According to Carruthers, Hines' testimony about Jonathan's statements was inadmissible hearsay. The State argues that Hines' testimony was admissible under the co-conspirator hearsay exception. See Tenn. R. Evid. 803(1.2)(E). Specifically, Carruthers complains about Hines' testimony relating the statements Jonathan made to him about these murders when Jonathan borrowed Hines' car the night of the murders and when Jonathan and Hines were at the carwash the morning after the murders. The Court of Criminal Appeals held that Jonathan's first statement to Hines fell within the co-conspirator exception because at the time Jonathan asked Hines to take him to the cemetery, one could infer that the victims had not been buried and Jonathan was needed to complete the robbery, kidnappings, and murders. The Court of Criminal Appeals also held that Jonathan Montgomery's statements to Hines the next morning while Hines' car was being washed were not in furtherance of the conspiracy but were more akin to casual conversation about past events and thus inadmissible. Since the second inadmissible statement was cumulative of the first admissible statement, the Court of Criminal Appeals found the error harmless. We agree. Hearsay is a statement, other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Tenn. R. Evid. 801(c). Hearsay is not admissible in evidence except as provided by exceptions in the Tennessee Rules of Evidence or other applicable law. See Tenn. R. Evid. 802. One of the exceptions to the hearsay rule is a statement of a co-conspirator. See Tenn. R. Evid. 803(1.2)(E). Under this exception, hearsay is admissible if it constitutes a statement by a co-conspirator of a party during the course of and in furtherance of the conspiracy. Id. A conspiracy is defined as a combination between two or more persons to do a criminal or unlawful act or a lawful act by criminal or unlawful means. See State v. Alley, 968 S.W.2d 314, 316 (Tenn.Crim.App.1997); State v. Gaylor, 862 S.W.2d 546, 553 (Tenn.Crim.App.1992); State v. Houston, 688 S.W.2d 838, 841 (Tenn.Crim.App.1984); State v. Lequire, 634 S.W.2d 608, 612 (Tenn.Crim.App.1981). To be admissible under the co-conspirator hearsay exception, a statement must be made during the course of a conspiracy. This means that the conspiracy must have been occurring or ongoing at the time the statement was made. See State v. Walker, 910 S.W.2d 381, 385 (Tenn.1995); Gaylor, 862 S.W.2d at 554; Neil Cohen et al., Tennessee Law of Evidence § 803(1.2)(6) (3d ed.1995). If the conspiracy had not begun or had already concluded when the statement was made, the statement will not be admissible under the co-conspirator exception. Id. The exception also requires that the statement be in furtherance of the conspiracy. In short, the statement must be one that will advance or aid the conspiracy in some way. See State v. Heflin, 15 S.W.3d 519, 523 (Tenn.Crim.App.1999). This has long been the law in Tennessee. See Owens, 84 Tenn. at 4; Harrison v. Wisdom, 54 Tenn. 99, 107-08 (1872). Commentators have explained that: [a] statement may be in furtherance of the conspiracy in countless ways. Examples include statements designed to get the scheme started, develop plans, arrange for things to be done to accomplish the goal, update other conspirators on the progress, deal with arising problems, and provide information relevant to the project. While such statements are ordinarily made to other conspirators, Rule 803(1.2)(E) does not so require. Statements to third parties may qualify if in furtherance of the conspiracy. Tennessee Law of Evidence, § 803(1.2). 6, p. 522. Where a conspiracy exists, everyone entering into the conspiracy is a party to every act which has before been done by the others and to every act by the others afterward in furtherance of the common design. Owens, 84 Tenn. at 4. Casual conversation between or among co-conspirators is not considered to be in furtherance of the conspiracy. See Hutchison, 898 S.W.2d at 170. In addition, where a conspirator is apprehended and tells all to the police, it is unlikely the confession is admissible as a conspirator statement. Walker, 910 S.W.2d at 386. Under those circumstances, the statement becomes only a narrative statement of past conduct between conspirators. Id. Applying these principles, we agree that Hines' testimony about the statements Jonathan Montgomery made when asking to borrow Hines' car was properly admitted under the co-conspirator hearsay exception. As previously stated, Hines testified that Jonathan Montgomery beeped him around 8:45 p.m. on February 24, 1994, and said, Man, a n___r got them folks. When Hines asked, What folks? Jonathan replied, Cello and them and said something about stealing $200,000. Jonathan indicated he could not talk more on the telephone and arranged to meet Hines in person. When Jonathan arrived at Hines' home around 9:00 p.m., Jonathan told Hines, man, we got them folks out at the cemetery on Elvis Presley, and we got $200,000. Man a n___r had to kill them folks. [41] According to Hines, at this point James Montgomery beeped in and talked with Jonathan, and after this conversation, Jonathan asked Hines to drive him to the cemetery. Hines refused to drive Jonathan but allowed him to borrow his car. The record does not support Carruthers' assertion that the conspiracy had ended by the time Jonathan Montgomery made these statements. In fact, Nakeita Shaw testified that she saw two of the victims, Marcellos Anderson and Frederick Tucker, leave her home alive around 10 p.m. with James Montgomery and Carruthers. In addition, the record demonstrates that Marcellos Anderson's Jeep Cherokee was burned much later at 2:40 a.m. in Mississippi. Clearly, the conspiracy had not ended when Jonathan Montgomery made these statements at around 8:45 to 9:30 p.m. In addition, the record reflects that the statements were made in furtherance of the conspiracy. Jonathan contacted Hines and made these statements to obtain transportation to the cemetery so he could assist his co-conspirators in completing the conspiracy. We therefore hold that the testimony of Chris Hines about the statements Jonathan Montgomery made to him on the night of the murders, February 24, 1994, was properly admitted pursuant to the co-conspirator hearsay exception to the hearsay rule. However, as the Court of Criminal Appeals held, the statements Jonathan Montgomery made to Hines at the car wash on the morning after the murders were not admissible under the co-conspirator exception. As previously stated, Hines testified that Jonathan repeatedly told him at the car wash that they had to kill some people. These statements were not made while the conspiracy was ongoing, nor were these statements in furtherance of the conspiracy. These statements are best described as a narrative of past conduct between conspirators and therefore were inadmissible. See Walker, 910 S.W.2d at 386. Nonetheless, we agree with the Court of Criminal Appeals that the erroneous admission of testimony about these statements is harmless error. This testimony is consistent with and merely cumulative of Hines' testimony about Jonathan's statements on the night of the murders which were properly admitted under the co-conspirator exception. Finally, we also agree with the Court of Criminal Appeals that reversal is not required because the trial court refused to allow Carruthers to question Detective Ruby about the content of Jonathan Montgomery's statements to the police. This testimony clearly was not admissible under the co-conspirator hearsay exception. When a co-conspirator tells all to the police, it is unlikely the confession is admissible as a conspirator statement. Walker, 910 S.W.2d at 386. Even assuming the statement would have been admissible under the hearsay exception for statements against penal interest, [42] any error in excluding the evidence was harmless. The statements Jonathan Montgomery made to the police implicated Carruthers and would have been prejudicial to his defense. This claim is without merit.