Opinion ID: 293348
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admissibility of Certain Hearsay Statements

Text: 90 During the trial, South-East introduced into evidence portions of answers made by the United Mine Workers to written interrogatories. The Union was asked to admit to the authenticity of certain speeches, editorials and statements made by Union officials which were appended to the Union's answers to the interrogatories, and then parts of these documents were read to the jury. Consolidation objected to and now challenges the admissibility of these statements on the grounds that they were hearsay as against them. (Consol's objection to the District Court's refusal to give its requested instruction on this matter was discussed earlier. See, I. Alleged Errors in Instructions: Section E. Instructions Respecting the Use to be Made by the Jury of Certain Hearsay Statements, supra, at p. 778). Consol's principal contention is that statements of this type are not to be admitted until 'there is independent evidence establishing, prima facie, that such others were members of the conspiracy.' Standard Oil Company of California v. Moore, supra. 91 The general rule is that this type of evidence is admissible, however, subject to exclusion if no prima facie case of the existence of the conspiracy is established. The question of conditional admissibility is for the trial judge to determine. Carbo v. United States, 314 F.2d 718 (9th Cir. 1963). There is no error in conditionally admitting the statements before a prima facie case was established by independent evidence if subsequently such a case is proven, because the trial judge has wide discretion over the order of proof. Pennington v. United Mine Workers of America, 325 F.2d 804, 817 (6th Cir. 1963), reversed on other grounds, 381 U.S. 657, 85 S.Ct. 1585, 14 L.Ed.2d 626 (1965). Flintkote Company v. Lysfjord, 246 F.2d 368, 378 (9th Cir. 1957), cert. denied, 355 U.S. 835, 78 S.Ct. 54, 2 L.Ed.2d 46. At the close of plaintiff's case there had been established by independent or disassociated evidence a prima facie case, thus the requirement for having conditionally admitted the statements was met.