Opinion ID: 2077350
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Exclusion of Statement Against Penal Interest

Text: At the close of the State's case in chief, the defense sought to introduce, through defendant's sister, Sharon Lee, a hearsay statement made by James Williams. In an offer of proof, defense counsel asserted that Lee would testify that, on December 15, 1995, four days after the murders, she received a phone call from James Williams. According to Lee, James identified himself and asked to speak with Julie Santin, a former girlfriend of defendant. James asked Lee if she were Santin and Lee falsely answered yes. James then told Lee, whom he thought was Julie Santin, that he and defendant were in trouble. James said, Maynard shot two people and I had to get rid of the witnesses. We need to see you right away. The trial court sustained the State's objection to Lee's testimony. The court noted that the hearsay statement was against James' penal interest and that James was available to testify. However, in the court's view, the statement was not made spontaneously to a close acquaintance and was not corroborated by other evidence. Under these circumstances, the court ruled that, pursuant to Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284, 302, 93 S.Ct. 1038, 1049, 35 L.Ed.2d 297, 313 (1973), James' purported statement did not meet the criteria for admission under the statement-against-penal-interest exception to the hearsay rule. Defendant now maintains that the trial court's ruling was in error and impaired defendant's fundamental constitutional right to present a defense. The State initially maintains that this claim is procedurally defaulted because it was not included in defendant's post-trial motion. We will consider the claim, however, because it concerns defendant's due process right to present a defense and because the claim was raised by the defense at trial. See People v. Enoch, 122 Ill.2d 176, 190, 119 Ill.Dec. 265, 522 N.E.2d 1124 (1988) (exception to the requirement that issues must be preserved in a post-trial motion exists for constitutional issues which have properly been raised at trial and which can be raised later in a post-conviction hearing petition). In general, a declarant's unsworn, out-of-court statement that he committed the crime for which a defendant is charged is inadmissible hearsay, even though the statement is against the declarant's penal interest. People v. Tate, 87 Ill.2d 134, 143, 57 Ill.Dec. 572, 429 N.E.2d 470 (1981). However, such a statement may be admitted under the statement-against-penal-interest exception to the hearsay rule if the statement contains sufficient indicia of reliability and if justice so requires. People v. Bowel, 111 Ill.2d 58, 66, 94 Ill.Dec. 748, 488 N.E.2d 995 (1986), citing Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284, 302, 93 S.Ct. 1038, 1049, 35 L.Ed.2d 297, 313 (1973) (the hearsay rule may not be applied mechanistically to defeat the ends of justice). To determine whether a statement contains sufficient indicia of reliability, courts look foremost to whether the statement is self-incriminating and against the declarant's interest. People v. Keene, 169 Ill.2d 1, 29, 214 Ill.Dec. 194, 660 N.E.2d 901 (1995). Courts also look to whether the statement was made spontaneously to a close acquaintance shortly after the crime occurred; whether the statement was corroborated by other evidence; and whether there was adequate opportunity for cross-examination of the declarant. These latter factors are not hard and fast requirements for admissibility but, instead, are simply indicia of trustworthiness. People v. House, 141 Ill.2d 323, 390, 152 Ill.Dec. 572, 566 N.E.2d 259 (1990), citing Bowel, 111 Ill.2d at 67, 94 Ill.Dec. 748, 488 N.E.2d 995; Keene, 169 Ill.2d at 29, 214 Ill.Dec. 194, 660 N.E.2d 901. In every case, the ultimate question in deciding the admissibility of the hearsay declaration is whether it was made under circumstances which provide `considerable assurance' of its reliability by objective indicia of trustworthiness. Bowel, 111 Ill.2d at 67, 94 Ill.Dec. 748, 488 N.E.2d 995, quoting Chambers, 410 U.S. at 300-01, 93 S.Ct. at 1048-49, 35 L.Ed.2d at 311-12. Whether a statement is admissible under the statement-against-penal-interest exception to the hearsay rule rests within the sound discretion of the trial court. Bowel, 111 Ill.2d at 68, 94 Ill.Dec. 748, 488 N.E.2d 995. Defendant concedes that the hearsay statement purportedly made by James Williams was not made to a close acquaintance. Defendant maintains, however, that the statement was against James Williams' penal interest, that it was made spontaneously, and that it was corroborated by other evidence. The State concedes that the statement was against James' interest, and that James was available to testify, but challenges whether the statement was made spontaneously and whether it was corroborated by other evidence. We believe that, because of a lack of corroborative evidence, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the hearsay statement. The hearsay statement at issue in this case is a single, unsworn, oral declaration purportedly made to defendant's sister by James Williams. At the time defendant's trial counsel moved to have the hearsay statement admitted, James Williams had completed his sworn testimony for the State. In that testimony, James admitted that he was present at Williams' trailer at the time of the shootings and that he fled the trailer with defendant. As defendant points out, these facts tend to corroborate the hearsay statement. See, e.g., 2 J. Strong, McCormick on Evidence § 319(e), at 328-29 (5th ed. 1999) (presence of declarant at crime scene corroborative). However, in his testimony, James denied knowing that defendant had taken a rifle into the trailer, denied knowing that the shootings were going to take place, and specifically denied shooting or killing anyone in the trailer. This testimony was subsequently corroborated by three State witnesses, Becky Williams, Dawn Daubach and Dana Ganninger, all of whom offered testimony that pointed only to defendant as the killer of the three victims. Thus, at the time defendant moved to have the hearsay declaration admitted, evidence had been introduced which established that James was present at the trailer during the murders. However, no evidence put James in possession of the .22-caliber rifle and no evidence pointed to James as the murderer. Further, in contrast to the evidence that defendant said Williams had an attitude problem and was going to get it, no evidence had been introduced for why James would shoot the victims. Given the foregoing facts, we must conclude that the circumstances known to the trial court at the time defense counsel moved to have the hearsay statement admitted did not provide `considerable assurance' ( Bowel, 111 Ill.2d at 67, 94 Ill. Dec. 748, 488 N.E.2d 995, quoting Chambers, 410 U.S. at 300-01, 93 S.Ct. at 1048-49, 35 L.Ed.2d at 311-12) of the statement's reliability ( cf. Chambers, 410 U.S. 284, 93 S.Ct. 1038, 35 L.Ed.2d 297 (hearsay statements in which the declarant confessed to a murder were reliable where, inter alia the declarant signed a sworn, written confession to the murder that was repudiated before trial, eyewitness testimony indicated that the declarant committed the murder, and other evidence corroborated the statements)). Accordingly, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in excluding the hearsay statement, or that the statement's exclusion defeat[ed] the ends of justice. Chambers, 410 U.S. at 302, 93 S.Ct. at 1049, 35 L.Ed.2d at 313. Defendant argues, however, that the motion to admit the hearsay statement should have been renewed at the close of defendant's case. Defendant maintains that, after he testified, overwhelming corroboration existed, via his own testimony, to allow the admission of the hearsay statement. Therefore, defendant argues, trial counsel was ineffective for not renewing the motion at the conclusion of his testimony. We disagree. To establish a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, defendant must show that trial counsel's failure to renew the motion was professionally deficient and that there is a reasonable probability that the trial court would have granted the motion to allow the hearsay statement had the motion been renewed at the conclusion of defendant's testimony. We have previously noted the many objective indicia ( Bowel, 111 Ill.2d at 67, 94 Ill.Dec. 748, 488 N.E.2d 995, citing Chambers, 410 U.S. at 300-01, 93 S.Ct. at 1048-49, 35 L.Ed.2d at 311-12) of weaknesses in defendant's testimony. These objective weaknesses undermine the corroborative value that the trial court might have given defendant's testimony. We note too that, even if defendant's testimony is accepted as completely credible, it does not, as defendant suggests, fully establish the trustworthiness of the hearsay statement. In the hearsay declaration, James Williams allegedly said that he had to get rid of the witnesses after defendant shot two people. A criminal, of course, speaks of getting rid of the witnesses when covering up some nefarious activity. Defendant testified, however, that Williams and Orlando threatened and attacked him, and that he shot them only in self-defense. The assertion that James said he had to get rid of the witnesses therefore makes little sense, as, according to defendant's own testimony, there was no illegal activity that had to be concealed. Furthermore, before defendant took the stand, defense counsel called James Williams to testify. During his brief testimony, James was specifically asked about defendant's sister, Sharon Lee, and defendant's former girlfriend, Julie Santin. James testified that he never spoke with Lee and that he never attempted to contact Santin. This testimony further underscored the lack of corroborating circumstances before the trial court at the conclusion of defendant's testimony. Cf. People v. Swaggirt, 282 Ill.App.3d 692, 218 Ill.Dec. 150, 668 N.E.2d 634 (1996) (declarant's hearsay statements confessing to attack corroborated where declarant did not testify as to whether he made the statements, and where multiple defenses witnesses testified that the declarant was present at the crime scene with the weapon used in the attack, one witness saw someone who looked like the declarant strike the victim, and the declarant had a motive for the attack). In light of the foregoing, we conclude that there is no reasonable probability that, had defense counsel renewed the motion to allow the admission of the hearsay statement at the conclusion of defendant's testimony, the trial court would have reversed its prior ruling and allowed the motion. Consequently, we hold that defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to renew the motion.