Opinion ID: 611597
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admission of Hearsay Evidence of Money Transfers

Text: 32 Arias-Villanueva and Plancarte-Raya argue that the district court erred in admitting a collection of Western Union money transfer records because the records were not introduced based on the personal knowledge of someone having a duty to keep them. We review the district court's exclusion of evidence under the hearsay rule for an abuse of discretion. United States v. George, 960 F.2d 97, 99-100 (9th Cir.1992). 33 Business records are not self-authenticating. For the records to be admissible, the following foundational facts must be proved by a qualified witness: (1) the records must have been made or transmitted by a person with knowledge at or near the time of the incident recorded; and (2) the record must have been kept in the course of a regularly conducted business. Kennedy v. Los Angeles Police Dept., 901 F.2d 702, 717 (9th Cir.1990). A qualified witness can be anyone who understands the record-keeping system. United States v. Ray, 930 F.2d 1368, 1370 (9th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1124, 111 S.Ct. 1084, 112 L.Ed.2d 1189 (1991); United States v. Miller, 771 F.2d 1219, 1237 (9th Cir.1985). 34 The Western Union manager who testified for the government at trial testified that he did not know who filled out the particular document and whether that person really had knowledge of the events that were purportedly being reported in the document. However, such knowledge is not necessary. There is no requirement that the government establish when and by whom the documents were prepared. Ray, 930 F.2d at 1370. The record's being recorded at or near the time of the event it records is sufficient. Id. (citation omitted). Therefore, the district court properly admitted the wire transfer records. 35