Court Opinion

ID: 9781233
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 16:24:31.702188+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:34:21.925576
License: Public Domain

LUMPKIN, Judge:
concur in part/dissent in part.
1 1 I agree with the results reached by the Court in this case and join in the adoption of the substantial trustworthiness test to govern the admissibility of hearsay evidence in revocation cases. However, I have always believed appellate courts should be clear and consistent in establishing guidelines for the judges of the District Court and this Court's analysis appears to create more questions than it answers.
12 First, the Court correctly sets out the fact that a "probationer's right of confrontation is subject to 'relaxed due process standards'", and notes the evolution of the law emanating from the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972) and Gagnon v. Scarpelli 411 U.S. 778, 93 S.Ct. 1756, 36 L.Ed.2d 656 (1973), which leads to our ability to say:
Accordingly, we conclude that the due process confrontation requirement applicable to revocations matters will generally be satisfied when a trial court determines that proffered hearsay bears substantial guarantees of trustworthiness or otherwise has sufficient indicia of reliability.
That holding is clear and to the point, easy to understand.
4 3 Second, the Court then becomes somewhat cryptic in the application of that clear statement by citing to the case of United States v. Kelley, 446 F.3d 688 (7th Cir.2006) as an example of the application of the rule. That decision found a defendant guilty "based solely on evidence presented by the police officer who responded to a police dispatch about 'a man with a gun'." Id., at 689. That court discussed the reliability of the hearsay in the context of "the officer's personal observations and investigation corrobo*189rated the victims' accusations". However, the case does not say corroboration is required to satisfy the "substantial guarantees of trustworthiness test". The Court refers to "corroboration" several times in the opinion without stating whether or not it is required to satisfy the test. If it is required, we should say so and if the examples are merely illustrative of how a trial court can determine whether proffered hearsay evidence meets the test requirements, then we should be clear to ensure trial judges do not have to guess when confronted with the argument.
T4 Third, this Court then creates conflict and confusion by referring to Montemayor v. State, 1988 OK CR 285, 766 P.2d 1000, and holding:
Although concluding that in revocation proceedings, a trial court may rely upon an out-of-court statement that bears substantial guarantees of trustworthiness without violating a defendant's right of confrontation, we continue to hold to that authority indicating revocation cannot be based entirely upon hearsay evidence.
1 5 The problem with this statement is that Montemayor was based entirely on the application of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Morrissey v. Brewer and Gagnon v. Scarpelli. The Court's analysis and adoption of the substantial trustworthiness test completely eviscerates the basis for the decision in Montemayor. For that reason, we should be overruling Montemayor and not confusing the application of the test we are adopting.
1 6 Fourth, 20 further confuses the application of the substantial trustworthiness test by its discussion of competent evidence. Like the reference back to Montemayor, this discussion of competent evidence places a cloud on the extent to which the test is applicable in the trial court proceedings. While I continue to adhere to the rule of law that statements in footnotes are not holdings in an opinion, see Jackson v. State, 2006 OK CR 45, 146 P.3d 1149, 1168 (Lumpkin, V.P.J. Concur In Results); Cannon v. State, 1995 OK CR 45, 904 P.2d 89, 108 (Lumpkin, J., Concur in Results) people do read them and they should at least be consistent with the holding of the opinion. Supposedly, the Court is holding that the substantial trustworthiness test is satisfying the confrontation requirements imposed in revocation proceedings, but this discussion on competent evidence conflicts with that holding.
T7 Rather than sending mixed signals to judges and practitioners as to how and when hearsay evidence is admissible in revocation proceedings, we should be clear and to the point. We should state affirmatively that hearsay evidence meeting the substantial trustworthiness test satisfies a probationer's due process confrontation rights in a revocation proceeding. We should provide examples that show the ways that reliability can be established, whether it be through corroboration, observation or traditional hearsay exception. And, due to the evolution of the Morrissey v. Brewer and Gagnon v. Scarpelli jurisprudence, that due process is satisfied if a decision to revoke is based solely on competent hearsay evidence that satisfies the substantial trustworthiness test. In other words, we should do it right the first time rather than creating questions that will have to be decided in later appeals.