Opinion ID: 2536698
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Refusal to exclude voicemail messages

Text: ¶ 9. Newell argues first that it was error to admit into evidence the two voicemail messages he had left on Diane's phone, a recording of which was played for the jury during Sullivan's testimony. In the first message, Newell stated: You're probably up at the Slab [House],... or over at Tony's, but I bet you're at the Slab, and you want me to come up there so Mike will whip [me]. But I tell you what I'm going to do: I'm fixing to come up there and pop a cap in [you] and hi[m], too. In the second message, Newell stated, essentially, never mind, neither one of you are worth it. The standard of review regarding admission or exclusion of evidence is abuse of discretion. We will not reverse the trial court's evidentiary ruling unless the error adversely affects a substantial right of a party. Mingo v. State, 944 So.2d 18, 28 (Miss.2006) (citing Parks v. State, 884 So.2d 738, 742 (Miss.2004)). See also Miss. R. Evid. 103(a). ¶ 10. Newell asserts that the voicemail messages are subject to spousal privilege under Mississippi Rule of Evidence 504(b) and that Diane was not competent to aid investigators under the spousal competency standards in Rule 601(a). See Miss. R. Evid. 504(b), 601(a). The State contends that the threats in the messages were relevant to show Newell's deliberate design to shoot somebody that day, which he ultimately did, and that such threats presented a controversy between the spouses, an exception to spousal incompetency. We find that the messages were relevant and were not excluded by Rules 504 and 601. ¶ 11. The husband-wife privilege protects confidential communications between spouses. Miss. R. Evid. 504. A confidential communication is made in private and is not intended for disclosure. Miss. R. Evid. 504(a). Before a privileged communication may be revealed, both spouses must consent. See Miss. R. Evid. 504(c); Hickson v. State, 697 So.2d 391, 398-99 (Miss.1997); Martin v. State, 773 So.2d 415, 417 (Miss.Ct.App.2000). Under spousal competency standards, a spouse may not be compelled to reveal confidential communications during the discovery process in a case that involves the other spouse without the consent of both. Miss. Code Ann. § 13-1-5 (Rev.2002), superceded by Miss. R. Evid. 601(a). See also Miss. R. Evid. 601 cmt.; Hood v. State, 17 So.3d 548, 553 n. 5 (Miss.2009) (noting that Rule 601 and Miss.Code. Ann. § 13-1-5 are essentially the same); Fisher v. State, 690 So.2d 268, 272 (Miss.1996). ¶ 12. Here, the same facts negate both spousal privilege and spousal incompetency. Newell's message threatened to shoot Diane and Tony. Because this threat would have been communicated to Tony or the police, it is not confidential under Rule 504. See Miss. R. Evid. 504(a); Roland v. State, 882 So.2d 262, 266 (Miss.Ct.App.2004) (denying husband-wife privilege for telephone conversation wife recorded partly because defendant previously had threatened to kill her). But even if we accept Newell's argument that a private threat is not intended for disclosure, both spouses waived Rules 504 and 601 by their respective actions. Shell v. State, 554 So.2d 887, 894-95 (Miss.1989), rev'd in part on other grounds, Shell v. Mississippi, 498 U.S. 1, 111 S.Ct. 313, 112 L.Ed.2d 1 (1990) (finding that defendant waived the husband-wife privilege when he encouraged police to corroborate his story by questioning his wife). See also Miss. R. Evid. 601(a). Investigators obtained Diane's cell phone on Newell's request. At the time he asked the officers to check her phone, he knew that damaging messages were there. Diane surrendered her phone and provided the password to her voicemail. Thus, neither Rule 504 nor Rule 601 applies. ¶ 13. Further, the messages satisfy Rule 401's broad definition of relevant evidence. See Miss. R. Evid. 401; May v. State, 524 So.2d 957, 965 (Miss.1988). However relevant the evidence, the court may exclude it when unfair prejudice outweighs its probative value. Miss. R. Evid. 403. Three to four hours after threatening Diane, Newell arrived at the Slab House to find Boyette standing next to Diane's truck. While disputed, three officers testified that Newell asked Boyette if he previously had answered Diane's cell phone. Newell's first message did specifically threaten Diane and Tony. Further, it is not disputed that Boyette was nonresponsive and hostile to Newell's questioning about Diane's infidelity. The message tends to support the State's theory that Newell acted with malice toward Boyette because Newell thought he was one of Diane's lovers. Davis v. State, 767 So.2d 986, 997 (Miss.2000) (finding evidence of defendant's prior threats against a third party relevant to show motive, intent, and state of mind). Together, the messages explain the chain of events and affect the State's theory on Newell's state of mind, and Newell fails to show that their value was substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. See Miss. R. Evid. 401, 403. We find no error in the admission of the messages into evidence. Mingo, 944 So.2d at 28. While the messages were relevant to the State's prosecution for deliberate-design murder, we make no findings on their relevance or probative value in further proceedings.