Court Opinion

ID: 9740050
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:26:46.32637+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:15.708221
License: Public Domain

MILLER, Judge,
concurring in result.
I agree with the result reached by the majority, although I feel that Officer Cop-pins' testimony was unnecessarily detailed. Holliday claimed in this case that medication he was taking for his mental illness always made him drowsy, lethargic, and essentially incompetent; thus, he did not know or understand what he was signing when he signed his confession. Coppins could have testified about his contact with Holliday a month earlier (when the evidence established he was also under medication) by describing it as an investigation without revealing that two witnesses had positively identified Holliday as the person committing the act.
As stated by the majority, sometimes it is necessary to admit some hearsay material to explain how and why transactions were initiated. But this rule should not be used as an excuse to permit unnecessary, damaging hearsay testimony.
In this case, I believe the error was harmless. Holliday took the stand and it became apparent from his testimony that he had an extensive criminal record. In addition, the evidence appears to be overwhelming and the jury, in fact, found Holli-day to be mentally ill.