Court Opinion

ID: 9477673
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:28:30.196224+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:45:59.282574
License: Public Domain

JOHNSTONE, Chief District Judge,
concurring.
While concurring with the conclusion reached by the majority, I write separately because the transcript of Louzon’s Grand Jury testimony included extensive statements not related to or in the furtherance of the conspiracy, which statements were hearsay to the second and third power. A large portion of the transcript was admissible under the reasons stated by the majority; other portions were not. These inadmissible, non-conspiratorial statements could have been excised from the transcript before permitting it to be read to the jury. To bootstrap the inadmissible evidence through Fed.R.Ev. 804(b)(5) constitutes error. However, the error was harmless in view of the overwhelming evidence against the defendant.