Opinion ID: 1278902
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: State-of-mind hearsay exception

Text: Generally, hearsay evidence is inadmissible unless it comes within a recognized exception. Minn. R. Evid. 802. Under one recognized exception, Minn. R. Evid. 803(3), a declarant's statements about his or her own then-existing state of mind are admissible. [4] To be admissible under the state-of-mind exception, [T]he statement must be contemporaneous with the mental state sought to be proven. [T]here must be no suspicious circumstances suggesting a motive for the declarant to fabricate or misrepresent his or her thoughts. [T]he declarant's state of mind must be relevant to an issue in the case. 5 Jack B. Weinstein & Margaret A. Berger, Weinstein's Federal Evidence § 803.05[2][a], at 803-28, 803-29 (Joseph M. McLaughlin ed., 2d ed.2005) (internal footnotes and numbering omitted). Admissibility of state-of-mind hearsay also turns on weighing probative value against the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury. See State v. Ulvinen, 313 N.W.2d 425, 428 (Minn.1981) (state-of-mind hearsay extremely prejudicial); Minn. R. Evid. 403. Ordinarily, a homicide victim's state of mind is not relevant to whether the defendant committed the crime. See State v. Buggs, 581 N.W.2d 329, 340 (Minn.1998) (excluding homicide victim's hearsay statements reflecting defendant's past threats and abuse); Ulvinen, 313 N.W.2d at 428 (stating homicide victim's state of mind was not at issue). But a homicide victim's state of mind regarding the defendant may become relevant where the defendant raises the defense of accident, suicide, or self-defense. State v. Bauer, 598 N.W.2d 352, 367 (Minn.1999) (quoting State v. Blanchard, 315 N.W.2d 427, 432 (Minn.1982)); see also State v. Steinbuch, 514 N.W.2d 793, 797 (Minn.1994) (concluding that statements that homicide victim was going to take her girls and leave was relevant to rebut defendant's claim that the victim, his wife, murdered his daughter and step-daughter). Nevertheless, the state-of-mind exception does not pave the way for statements by one person to prove another's state of mind. 4 Christopher B. Mueller & Laird C. Kirkpatrick, Federal Evidence § 438, at 416 (2d ed.1994). Here, it appears that much of the hearsay evidence was about what DeRosier was alleged to have done, was unrelated to the declarant's state of mind, and therefore was not admissible under that exception. See State v. Bradford, 618 N.W.2d 782, 798 (Minn.2000) (holding that homicide victim's statements about what the defendant had done to her did not fall within this hearsay exception because they did not get to the declarant's state of mind); Minn. R. Evid. 803(3) (rule does not include a statement of memory or belief to prove the fact remembered).