Opinion ID: 853560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: This Hearsay Confirmed Other Evidence

Text: Finally, Wright asserts that the trial court erred in permitting Officer Windbigler to testify about statements made by Tony Holiday, Nickolis Wilson, and an unidentified person. Wright argues that these statements are inadmissible hearsay under Indiana Evidence Rule 802. Windbigler testified during his direct examination that he conducted an investigation of the places where Wright had been on May 30th and 31st. One of the places was a known crackhouse. Windbigler took statements from several people who observed Wright at the crackhouse. On cross-examination, Wright's attorney asked Windbigler about the investigation, and the following colloquy occurred: Q. Did you  to your knowledge, did anybody go to the crack houses?
Q. Were there any statements taken from those people? A. Sure. Q. You've seen them? A. Yes, sir. I believe they are in the case. Q. Did those persons who were interrogated say that Jim [Wright] had been there? A. Somebody had remembered seeing him with blood on him. Something to that effect. I remember that statement. Q. But you weren't involved in that part? A. I believe somebody else took the statement. What we did is we knocked on doors of allegedly these places where he was at. I know we found one or two people or maybe three who said, yeah, he stopped and they had gotten money with blood on it. He had blood on his shirt; those type things. (R. at 587.) On redirect, the State attempted to introduce three written witness statements, the statements of Tony Holiday, Nickolis Wilson, and one unidentified person. The defendant objected to the introduction of these statements as inadmissible hearsay, and the trial court sustained the objection. The State then resumed Windbigler's redirect, asking him what the witnesses said. Windbigler testified that one witness said she had observed Wright arriving at the crackhouse with blood on his face and clothing. She also said that Wright asked for some water and washed his face. Windbigler said that another witness told him that Wright bought some crack cocaine and paid for it with money partially covered in blood. The defense objected to these statements as inadmissible hearsay, and the trial court overruled the objection. Although the defense objected to and now complains of the admission of the hearsay statements on redirect, no objection was made to the testimony about the statements on cross examination. Indeed, the defense first injected the issue of the witness statements into the trial. Reversal may not be predicated upon the erroneous admission of evidence when evidence having the same probative effect is admitted without objection or without contradiction. Bobbitt v. State, 266 Ind. 164, 361 N.E.2d 1193 (1977). The statements made on redirect are about the same as those elicited by the defense during cross-examination. We find no reversible error.