Opinion ID: 1463389
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of Co-Conspirator Statements Against Benson

Text: Benson argues that the testimony of his co-conspirators implicating him in the conspiracy was improperly admitted because no corroborating independent evidence, other than the statements themselves, supported a finding that he participated in the conspiracy. When, as here, a party does not timely raise an issue in district court or make an objection, an objection to the error is deemed forfeited and reviewed only for plain error. United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 731, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993). Under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E), for co-conspirator hearsay statements to be admissible, the government must show by a preponderance of the evidence that: (1) a conspiracy existed, (2) the defendant against whom the hearsay is offered was a member of the conspiracy, and (3) that the statements were made during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy. Bourjaily v. United States, 483 U.S. 171, 175, 107 S.Ct. 2775, 97 L.Ed.2d 144 (1987); United States v. Enright, 579 F.2d 980, 986-87 (6th Cir.1978). In arguing his co-conspirators' testimonies should be excluded because a conspiracy had not yet been proved by independent evidence, Benson misconstrues the parameters of Rule 801(d)(2)(E) and the requirements of Enright. Further, Rule 801(d) does not apply to statements that are not considered hearsay, such as direct testimony by witnesses, including co-conspirators who testify as witnesses. See United States v. Williams, 14 Fed.Appx. 469, 474 (6th Cir.2001). Benson does not point to any out-of-court statements referenced by his co-conspirators at trial that he considered to be hearsay, but merely alleges the admission of all the statements concerning Mr. Benson's participation in the conspiracy[] are inadmissible until his participation in the conspiracy is proven. Rule 801(d)(2)(E) and the Enright requirements were not implicated when the prosecution presented the direct testimony of Benson's co-conspirators. See id. In United States v. Clark, 18 F.3d 1337 (6th Cir.1994), we held that proof of the defendant's knowledge and participation in the conspiracy must be supported by independent, corroborating evidence other than co-conspirator hearsay. Id. at 1341-42. Here, Benson essentially argues that the portions of co-conspirators' testimonies that are not considered hearsay cannot be used as the independent, corroborating evidence to determining whether the hearsay statements meet the Enright requirements. No precedent in this circuit requires co-conspirator testimony that is not hearsay to be excluded as insufficient independent, corroborating evidence in making an Enright determination. In fact, we have previously declined to adopt the rule that testimony of co-conspirators cannot be used to prove a conspiracy, see Williams, 14 Fed.Appx. at 475, so we fail to see why it cannot be used to prove participation in a conspiracy for Enright purposes. Further, Benson does not identify which statements, if any, made by his co-conspirators should be considered hearsay. Thus, it would be nearly impossible to discern which statements to use and which to exclude in determining whether the district court erred. Therefore, the district court did not plainly err in admitting the co-conspirators' statements.