Opinion ID: 1832446
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the trial court improperly allowed a co-conspirator's testimony containing hearsay statements before proof of the conspiracy was established.

Text: ¶ 17. Applewhite next contends that the trial court erred in admitting into evidence testimony from Jasper Earl Thomas, a co-conspirator, who testified about statements made by the other conspirators. Applewhite argues that a conspiracy had not yet been proven when Thomas testified. The State's first two witnesses were the victims, Powell and Scott. Powell testified that four young men had twice entered the T & T store earlier in the evening of August 1, 1996, and later three of them came in while one stood outside at the door, and Applewhite and Jones pulled guns on her and Ms. Scott and took money and food stamps from the cash register. Scott's testimony was substantially the same as that of Powell. The State then called Officer Cooley, who testified regarding his involvement in the investigation and arrest. Officer Cooley stated he was present when Applewhite gave his statement regarding the robbery, and he identified Applewhite's statement. Officer Tindall was then called by the State, and through him Applewhite's statement was introduced into evidence and read to the jury. Only after those four witnesses testified was co-conspirator Jasper Earl Thomas put on the stand to testify about the conspiracy. The testimony of these witnesses, along with Applewhite's statement, regarding the actions of the four men on the night of the robbery, sufficiently established a conspiracy. Jasper Earl Thomas was indicted as a co-conspirator in this matter along with Randy Applewhite, Patrick Lamar Davis, and Kelvin Jones. Prior to trial, Thomas gave a statement to the Leflore County Sheriff's Department that contained statements of all co-conspirators. ¶ 18. Miss.Code Ann. § 97-1-1 (1994) states in part that the crime of conspiracy is committed when two or more persons conspire to commit a crime or accomplish any unlawful purpose. A conspiracy is a combination of two or more persons agreeing to accomplish an unlawful purpose or agreeing to accomplish a lawful purpose unlawfully. Clayton v. State, 582 So.2d 1019, 1022 (Miss.1991); Griffin v. State, 480 So.2d 1124, 1126 (Miss.1985). Further in Watson v. State, 722 So.2d 475, 478 (Miss.1998), this Court noted that: The conspiracy agreement need not be formal or express, but may be inferred from the circumstances, particularly by declarations, acts and conduct of the alleged conspirators. Furthermore, the existence of a conspiracy, and a defendant's membership in it, may be proved entirely by circumstantial evidence. ¶ 19. Applewhite's statement, combined with the testimony of the victims, sufficiently established the existence of a conspiracy between Applewhite and the other men to rob the T and T Grocery. Therefore, the trial judge did not err in allowing co-conspirator Jasper Thomas to testify regarding statements made by Applewhite.