Opinion ID: 1443072
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Alston Identifies Letter

Text: At the request of defense counsel, and outside the presence of the jury, a hearing was held to determine the authenticity of the letter. The State relied solely on Alston's testimony at the hearing. On direct examination, Alston testified that he received the letter from Smith at his home. In the letter, Smith identified himself by his nickname, Bang-bang, and Alston by his nickname, Banger. The letter also identified the other codefendant, Campbell, by his nickname, Be Easy. Alston testified that he had known Smith for two or three years and had hung out with him in Brookview. On cross-examination, Alston testified that after reading the letter, he left it in his bedroom. Alston testified that his mother found the letter in his room, and turned it over to the State. [1] Alston explained that he recognized the handwriting in the letter as Smith's because he had written out rap songs on two or three occasions with Smith. Alston could not specify when or where he had seen the other writings by Smith. Following the voir dire examination of Alston, the trial judge ruled the letter was admissible, relying on the testimony of Alston and noting the self-authenticating features in the letter: So we have a non-expert opinion of a lay person based on his familiarity with the defendant's handwriting, and we have internal communications in there that tend to self-authenticate the document as emanating from the defendant. So the objection as to authenticity is overruled. Smith now argues on appeal that this ruling was erroneous.