Court Opinion

ID: 9666652
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 01:23:46.103036+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:31.626096
License: Public Domain

LIMBAUGH, Judge,
concurring.
The conviction of Winston Bell for the gruesome murder of his wife, for burning her alive, is overturned because of the Court’s strict adherence to the rule of evidence that excludes hearsay testimony. Justice has not been served. The hearsay evidence admitted at trial, although technically inadmissible even under the state-of-mind exception, was nevertheless probative and trustworthy. The federal courts and the courts of twenty-nine of our sister states have now relieved the harshness of the hearsay rule by implementing a residual or omnibus exception that may be invoked, in general, when no other exception applies and when the evidence in question is shown to be trustworthy.1 The time has come for Missouri to adopt such a rule as well.
I.
The residual hearsay exception contained in Rule 803(24) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, which is the model for nearly all of the state exceptions, allows admission of the following type of hearsay:
A statement not specifically covered by any of the foregoing exceptions but having equivalent circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness, if the court determines that (A) the statement is offered as evidence of a material fact; (B) the statement is more probative on the point for which it is offered than any other evidence which the proponent can procure through reason*486able efforts; and (C) the general purposes of these rules and the interests of justice mil best be served by admission of the statement into evidence.
Fed R. Evid. 803(24).
Analysis under the residual hearsay exception in both federal and state jurisdictions focuses on two primary elements: (1) the necessity of admitting otherwise inadmissible hearsay, and (2) the factors which support the reliability and trustworthiness of such hearsay. 2 McCormick on Evidence sec. 324, at 362-66 (John W. Strong ed., 4th ed. 1992); 31A C.J.S. Evidence sec. 264 (1996); see also State v. Sharpe, 195 Conn. 651, 491 A.2d 345, 353-54 (1985). The necessity prong requires that the hearsay pertain to a material fact and that evidence of similar probative value cannot be otherwise obtained by the proponent. 2 McCormick on Evidence, supra, sec. 324, at 365-66; 31A C.J.S. Evidence sec. 264; see also Noble v. Alabama Dept. of Envtl. Management, 872 F.2d 361, 366 (11th Cir. 1989); United States v. Iaconetti, 406 F.Supp. 554, 559 (E.D.N.Y.1976). The trustworthiness prong focuses on various factors that tend to support the reliability and trustworthiness of hearsay. 2 McCormick on Evidence, supra, sec. 324, at 362-65; 29 Am.Jur.2d, Evidence sec. 685 (1994); see also F.T.C. v. Figgie Int’l, Inc., 994 F.2d 595, 608 (9th Cir. 1993); United States v. Woolbright, 831 F.2d 1390, 1396-97 (8th Cir. 1987). Examples of such factors include the motivation for speaking truthfully, the timing of the statement, the basis of the declarant’s knowledge, the spontaneity of the statement, and the circumstances surrounding the statement. 2 McCormick on Evidence, supra, sec. 324, at 363-65; 29 Am.Jur.2d, Evidence sec. 685; see also Cook v. Hoppin, 783 F.2d 684, 690-91 (7th Cir. 1986).
The residual hearsay exception acknowledges the inherent limitations of the several traditional and conventional hearsay exceptions by providing courts with the flexibility necessary to address hearsay which does not fit those specific exceptions. Fed. R. Evid. 803(24) advisory committee’s note; 31A C.J.S. Evidence sec. 264; see also Nowell v. Universal Elec. Co., 792 F.2d 1310, 1314 (5th Cir. 1986). Specific hearsay exceptions accommodate specific circumstances where evidence is likely to be trustworthy even though that evidence is hearsay. Because specific hearsay exceptions cannot anticipate all circumstances that would indicate trustworthiness, a residual hearsay exception allows courts to consider other circumstances which may also provide an equivalent inference of trustworthiness. Fed. R. Evid. 803(24) advisory committee’s note.
Like all other jurisdictions, Missouri grounds its hearsay exceptions in trustworthiness. In Bynote v. National Super Markets, Inc., 891 S.W.2d 117, 120 (Mo. banc 1995), this Court explained that “exceptions to the general prohibition against hearsay may apply when circumstances conspire to assure the trustworthiness of the declarant’s statement despite the absence of cross-examination, the oath, and the fact finder’s ability to observe the declarant’s demeanor.” Although Missouri has not formally recognized a residual hearsay exception, the Court of Appeals has on occasion admitted typical hearsay evidence for which no exception applies when it had a “circumstantial probability of trustworthiness.” Moore v. Dir. of Revenue, 811 S.W.2d 848, 852 (Mo.App.1991)(admitting hearsay evidence of information on packaging label), cited with approval in State v. Parker, 817 S.W.2d 920, 921 (Mo.App. 1991). Particularly in child abuse cases, Missouri courts have been willing to admit a child’s statements even though they would be hearsay. See, e.g., K.J.B. v. C.AB., 883 S.W.2d 117, 120 (Mo.App. 1994); D.L.H. v. H.T.H., 780 S.W.2d 104, 105 (Mo.App. 1989); Hard v. Morgan, 769 S.W.2d 443, 447 (Mo.App. 1989); In the Interest of W.J.D., 756 S.W.2d 191, 196 (Mo.App. 1988); In Interest of S.M., 750 S.W.2d 650, 653-55 (Mo.App. 1988); In re Marriage of P.K.A., 725 S.W.2d 78, 80-81 (Mo.App. 1987); see also Mo. Evidence Restated, sec. 803(24)(MoBar 3d ed. 1996). All in all, recognition of a residual hearsay exception based on trustworthiness would be consistent with the underlying purpose of Missouri’s traditional and conventional hearsay exceptions. As such, it is a reasonable solution for the problem our courts so often face in finding an *487exception for trustworthy hearsay evidence when no exception applies.
II.
Application of a residual hearsay exception to the case at hand appears to compel a different result. The materiality and probative value of the evidence of Bell’s prior assaults on the victim can hardly be denied. Indeed, under the prejudice analysis in the principal opinion, the probative value of the evidence of Bell’s prior assaults won the day for the State by convincingly undercutting Bell’s perverse defense that his wife’s death was due to accident.
More importantly, a number of factors exist that support the reliability and trustworthiness of the hearsay statements. The victim’s coworker testified that she had seen the victim come to work “with a split lip, with a black eye on three or four occasions, and once on crutches,” and that although the victim had told her at first that she had fought with a cousin, or had fallen, she finally conceded that in fact “Mr. Bell was responsible for the injuries.” Two police officers also testified that in responding to a call from the victim, “she appeared to have been assaulted — she had abrasions on her face — and appeared frightened,” and she told them that Bell had beaten her for more than an hour and had tried to break her leg by twisting it. I can perceive of no motivation for the victim to speak untruthfully about these matters. Her statements to the police were made spontaneously at a time when she had just been beaten and was still frightened by her predicament.- The statements to the coworker were made at a time when, because of the repeated incidents, the victim’s original explanations became increasingly untenable and truth was her only recourse. In short, the testimony about Mr. Bell’s prior assaults of the victim met all the requirements of the residual hearsay exception, and had the trial court the benefit of the exception, the evidence would have properly been admitted.
III.
Despite these conclusions, I would hesitate to invoke the residual hearsay exception sua sponte. Application of the residual exception and the determinations of materiality, probative value, reliability, and trustworthiness are to be made, in the first instance, by the trial court, and furthermore, admission of hearsay evidence under the residual exception “is within the discretion of the trial court, which should conduct a searching review of the facts before determining the applicability of the exception.” 29 Am Jur. 2d, Evidence sec. 702, at 755. In this case, the State understandably made no effort to admit the hearsay evidence under an as-yet unrecognized hearsay exception. Consequently, the trial court did not undertake that “searching review” or make any of the determinations necessary for application of the residual exception. Even had it done so, this Court has not been favored with briefing and argument on the issue.
Because these conditions have not been met, and because I agree that it was error to stretch the state-of-mind exception to accommodate hearsay evidence that simply does not fit that exception, I concur in the principal opinion.

. The federal hearsay residual exception is set out in Fed. R. Evid. 803(24).
The states that have codified a residual hearsay exception include Alaska, Alaska R. Evid. 803(24); Arizona, Ariz. R. 803(24); Arkansas, Ark. Rev. R. 803(24); Colorado, Colo. R. Evid. 803(24); Delaware, Del. Unif. R. Evid. 803(24); Hawaii, Haw. R. Evid. 803(b)(24); Idaho, Idaho R. Evid. 803(24); Iowa, Iowa R. Evid. 803(24); Maryland, Md. R. Evid. 803(24); Michigan, Mich. R. Evid. 803(24); Minnesota, Minn. R. Evid. 803(24); Mississippi, Miss. R. Evid. 803(24); Montana, Mont. R. Evid. 803(24); Nebraska, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 27-803(22)(1995); Nevada, Nev. Rev. Stat. 51.315 (1995); New Hampshire, N.H. R. 803(24); New Mexico, N.M. R. 11-803(x); North Carolina, N.C. R. 803(24); North Dakota, N.D. R. 803(25); Oklahoma, Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 2803(24)(West 1993); Oregon, Or. Evid. Code R. 803(26); Rhode Island, R.I. R. Evid. 803(24); South Dakota, S.D. R. Evid. 803(26); Utah, Utah R. Evid. 803(24); West Virginia, W.Va. R. Evid. 803(24); Wisconsin, Wis. Stat. Ann. § 908.03(24)(West 1993); Wyoming, Wyo R. Evid. 803(24).
Other states that appear to have adopted the residual hearsay exception in case law include Connecticut, State v. Sharpe, 195 Conn. 651, 491 A.2d 345, 353-54 (1985); State v. Stepney, 191 Conn. 233, 464 A.2d 758 (1983); and Georgia, Higgs v. State, 256 Ga. 606, 351 S.E.2d 448, 450 (1987); Chrysler Motors Corp. v. Davis, 226 Ga. 221, 173 S.E.2d 691 (1970). These states are in addition to those states that may have adopted the residual hearsay exception by case law prior to statutory enactment.
The states that have no residual hearsay exception include Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.