Opinion ID: 2084031
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Competency, Propriety and Admissibility of Witness to Telephone Conversation

Text: The State called as a witness a customer of Blanton's beauty shop who testified that on May 6, 1985, she was in the beauty shop when Blanton received a phone call. She further testified that Blanton held the receiver away from her ear so that the customer could overhear the conversation. She testified that she heard the voice on the other end screaming, demanding $500 and threatening not to bring the baby over any more if she didn't get the money. Additionally, she testified that she heard the voice on the other end of the line say, I could kill you for that or could kill you. At the conclusion of the phone call, she observed Blanton crying, dabbing at her eyes with tissue, and taking a few minutes in the back room to compose herself. Lock contends that this witness was incompetent because she had had mental illness problems requiring anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drug therapy. Secondly, she contends that the witness should not have been allowed to testify because the prosecutor did not make a timely disclosure of the identity of the witness and, thirdly, that the trial court committed error by allowing the witness to testify as to the contents of the telephone conversation. All three of these alleged errors involve areas where the trial judge is allowed wide latitude. First, we have examined the transcript of the witness' treating physician and agree with the trial court that there was no evidence that would render her incompetent as a matter of law. Her credibility, or lack thereof, was properly explored on cross-examination and her testimony, therefore, was evaluated by the jury. Secondly, Lock contends that the court erred in allowing this witness to testify because her name was not revealed to Lock or her attorneys in a timely fashion. We note simply that the witness was listed on the witness list approximately six months before the trial of this action. There has been no demonstration of any prejudice to Lock as a result of the alleged late notice of the identity of this witness. Finally, Lock contends that there was a lack of foundation to show that she, Lock, was the speaker on the other end of the telephone during the conversation related by the witness. A caller's identity must be established as part of the foundation for the admission of the contents of a telephone call. Ashley v. State (1986), Ind., 493 N.E.2d 768, 774. However, the identity of the caller may be established by circumstantial evidence. Reed v. State (1986), Ind., 491 N.E.2d 182, 186. Evidence that the caller possessed knowledge of certain facts that only a particular person would possess is sufficient identification to satisfy the foundational requirement. Reed v. State, supra . In this case, the witness heard the caller demand $500 from Blanton and threaten that she would not bring the baby over any more if she didn't get the money. Given the evidence that Blanton frequently babysat for Lock's child, the jury could reasonably infer that Lock was the caller who demanded money and threatened not to bring the child over any more if she didn't get it. The foundational requirement was satisfied and the trial court properly admitted the evidence.