Opinion ID: 885121
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Nick Burwell's statements to police.

Text: ¶ 32 Maier argues that the District Court erred in admitting statements that Burwell made to police after entering a cooperation agreement with the State. Maier contends that Burwell's statements to police were not statements against his interest and that they were not reliable because of his cooperation agreement. Maier also argues that the District Court erred in admitting hearsay testimony by Burwell regarding statements that Hayworth allegedly made in the van before the shooting. Burwell testified that when he, Maier, and Hayworth left Mogensen's house, Burwell heard Hayworth say, there's Bradford, do you want to get him? and he heard Maier respond, Yes. ¶ 33 The State argues that Maier has failed to cite the record regarding statements that Burwell made to the police and that Maier did not object when police testified about their interview with Burwell. The record shows that Maier objected at the outset of his trial to the admission of hearsay statements by Burwell through police testimony. However, although Maier cites Burwell's trial testimony, his appeal brief does not specifically cite the testimony of police about Burwell's statements to them. Because Maier has failed to cite with particularity to the record, we conclude that our review of this issue is foreclosed by Rule 23(e), M.R.App.P. ¶ 34 The State also argues that Burwell's testimony about the conversation between Hayworth and Maier in the van after they left Mogensen's house is admissible as part of the res gestae of the crime. The State argues that Burwell's testimony falls under the transaction rule and that the transaction rule, as set forth in § 26-1-103, MCA, is an exception to the hearsay rule. ¶ 35 Section 26-1-103, MCA, provides that [w]here the declaration, act, or omission forms part of a transaction which is itself the fact in dispute or evidence of that fact, such declaration, act, or omission is evidence as part of the transaction. In State v. Wing (1994), 264 Mont. 215, 870 P.2d 1368, this Court construed § 26-1-103, MCA, and concluded that [w]hen the court is not dealing with the introduction of evidence of wholly independent or unrelated crimes, the evidence is properly admitted. Wing, 264 Mont. at 225, 870 P.2d at 1374 (citation omitted). In the present case, we hold that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in admitting Hayworth and Maier's statements in the van as part of the res gestae. Because this holding is dispositive, we do not address Maier's other objections to the admissibility of Burwell's testimony.