Opinion ID: 2570390
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant's Preserved Trial Argument

Text: {30} We conclude that the trial court did not err by admitting Lausell's testimony. As noted above, Defendant made a general hearsay objection to Lausell's testimony, and the trial court elicited from defense counsel that he was arguing that Lausell's testimony was inadmissible and that Beckley was lying. The prosecutor countered the hearsay objection with a reference to Rule 11-801, with which the trial court agreed. Because defense counsel did not argue that Beckley's alleged lie referred to a motive to prevent Lausell from leaving her and because his theory of the case was that Lausell himself was an accomplice, the trial court could reasonably presume that if Beckley had a motive to lie which could result in exclusion of the testimony under Rule 11-801, the motive would be consistent with defense counsel's assertions at the time of trial. {31} At issue before the trial court was Beckley's alleged motive to lie in order to avoid the death penalty and the alleged motive to lie to protect Lausell. These motives occurred after she made the statements to Lausell. In the context of the defense counsel's strategy, the trial court properly concluded that Beckley's alleged motive to lie did not predate her statements to Lausell. During opening arguments, defense counsel stated, Another one made a deal for her life. And part of that deal is that she's to testify here today.... Oh, they use fancy words like, She's supposed to tell the truth. Well, no, folks. What she's supposed to tell you is the same story she told them the first time around, truth be damned. .... ... [S]he is supposed to tell the same story she told the first time she talked to the police ... to save part of her liberty; another one to save his liberty; others for the glory of being involved in the case. (Emphasis added.) Defense counsel was thus arguing that Beckley lied to the authorities when she spoke with them and would lie during her testimony in order to avoid the death penalty. Defense counsel was implying that she was lying to the police in order to protect Lausell because Lausell was the murderer. Defense counsel stated. The evidence is going to show that she's in love with John Lausell.... And at the time that she gave these statements to the police, didn't know that John Lausell was fixing to do her in.... That's very important to know, because she tries to direct all the attention away from John Lausell. She tries to act as if John Lausell had nothing to do with this. She tries to keep him as far out of this as much as she can. {32} Defendant's theories in the trial court regarding Beckley's motives to lie were her desire to protect Lausell and her desire to avoid the death penalty. Thus, under Tome and Casaus, the trial court did not err in admitting Lausell's testimony regarding Beckley's statements because Beckley's alleged motive to lie arose at the time she spoke to the police, after she made the statements to Lausell.