Opinion ID: 2977396
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The proffered evidence

Text: West’s theory of the case was that it was Ronnie Martin and not West who actually killed Wanda Romines and her daughter, Sheila. In order to demonstrate this, West sought to introduce two pieces of evidence: (1) the testimony of Libby Woods, an acquaintance of both Martin and Sheila; and (2) two taped conversations between Martin and his cellmate, Steve Hunley. According to West: Woods was prepared to testify that Martin said he would kill Sheila Romines; that he was upset with her for embarrassing him on one occasion where Sheila actually struck him in front of other students at school; that he wanted to date her and he wanted to have sex with her and she resisted his advances; and, that Martin said that he owed her, and that is why he would kill her. Appellant’s Br. 6-7. The two taped jailhouse conversations supposedly demonstrated that Martin was the main perpetrator and that West did not take part in the killings. The first conversation proceeded as follows: Hunley: Hey, Ronnie Martin: Yeah? Hunley: One more time before I go to bed to ease my mind, Steve [West] do that shit? Martin: No. Hunley: Huh? Martin: No Hunley: O.K. Thank you. Hunley: These guys back here don’t believe me that you said Steve didn’t kill them women. Will you tell them you did? Unknown: Who’s back there? Nos. 05-5132/6219 West v. Bell Page 19 Hunley: All of us. Martin: Yeah, I did it. Hunley: You killed both them women? Martin: Yeah. Hunley: Why? Martin: I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it. In the second conversation, Martin discussed his plan to falsely take an insanity plea. During the conversation he tacitly agreed that he, and not Steve, had killed the Romineses. Hunley: Yea, but you said Steve didn’t kill those women, you did. Don’t you think that’s crazy? Hunley: Huh Martin: Huh Hunley: You told me Steve didn’t do that but you did, don’t you think that’s crazy? Martin: I don’t think it’s crazy, no. West argues that the state court violated his Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights under Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284 (1973), and Green v. Georgia, 442 U.S. 95 (1979), by excluding these pieces of evidence.