State v. Goeders

423 N.W.2d 901, 1988 Iowa App. LEXIS 31, 1988 WL 54346
CourtCourt of Appeals of Iowa
DecidedMarch 23, 1988
Docket86-1844
StatusPublished

This text of 423 N.W.2d 901 (State v. Goeders) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Goeders, 423 N.W.2d 901, 1988 Iowa App. LEXIS 31, 1988 WL 54346 (iowactapp 1988).

Opinion

HAYDEN, Judge.

Defendant, Kline Goeders, appeals his conviction of first-degree murder. He asserts the trial court erred by admitting into evidence tapes and transcripts of two telephone conversations he had with his ex-wife. Goeders also asserts the trial court erred by denying his motion for judgment of acquittal with respect to the charge of felony murder, brought in count II of the trial information. Additionally, in an amended brief filed pro se, Goeders challenges several rulings of the trial court relating to the suppression of evidence and instructions to the jury. He also asserts his right to confront witnesses was violated and that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. We affirm.

At approximately 7:00 a.m. on April 23, 1977, Maxine Lange, then a resident and employee of the Hotel Pocahontas, found the body of Warren Clark in the basement of the hotel. Mr. Clark, a resident of the hotel, had been shot in the head. Clark had last been seen by a fellow resident at 3:00 a.m. At that time, he was asleep on the couch in the lobby, in front of the television set. Physical evidence in the lobby showed Clark had been struck in the head with a blunt instrument while on the couch, and had then been led across the lobby and down the basement stairs. He was then shot just inside a room at the foot of the stairs.

No one was arrested for the crime until 1986, when Goeders was charged. His arrest was precipitated by statements made at that time to law enforcement officials by his ex-wife, Terri Goeders. She reported she and the defendant stopped at the hotel in the early morning hours of April 23rd, after Goeders had picked up a gun from a friend and ammunition from his brother. She stated Goeders entered the hotel and she stayed in the car. After fifteen to thirty minutes, she walked into the hotel to visit the restroom and saw Goeders standing behind a man who had blood on his face and forehead. The man requested her help. She saw the gun at the man’s head and asked Goeders what he was doing. The man then said, apparently to Goeders, “I’ll give you anything I have. But I won’t say nothing if you just let me go.” Goe-ders then led the man across the lobby and down the basement stairs. A few seconds after Goeders led the man into a room at the foot of the stairs, Terri heard a gunshot. Goeders then ran up the stairs, past her, through the lobby, and out to the car. She later heard Goeders telling a friend that he had killed a man.

After making these statements to the police, Terri was asked by an agent of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to identify the man in the hotel with Goeders. On her second choice from an array of six photographs, she identified the man as Warren Clark. Thereafter, the DCI hooked up a tape recorder to her phone and two conversations between Terri and Goeders were taped. Goeders was implicated in the death of Clark in the course of these conversations.

Goeders was arrested and charged with (1) unlawfully and willfully killing Clark with malice aforethought and (2) unlawfully killing Clark with malice aforethought while attempting to perpetrate a robbery. Goeders was found by a jury to be guilty of murder in the first degree and this appeal followed.

In the course of this appeal, Goeders has filed an amended brief and a supplement thereto pro se. His initial brief was filed by his appellate counsel. We address first the issues raised by the admission into evidence of the tapes and transcripts of the telephone conversations.

I. Admissibility of Tapes and Transcripts. Goeders asserts the trial court erred by admitting into evidence the tapes *903 and transcripts of the two telephone conversations he had with Terri (discussed above). He contends the foundation relating to the accuracy of the tapes was insufficient. He also contends the tapes and transcripts constituted inadmissible hearsay.

We must determine whether the trial court abused its discretion by finding the foundation for the tapes and transcripts clearly established they were accurate and trustworthy. State v. Russell, 261 N.W.2d 490, 495 (Iowa 1978). Thus, we do not apply the specific foundational requirements for taped evidence utilized by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and urged here by Goeders. State v. Klindt, 389 N.W.2d 670, 674 (Iowa 1986); Russell, 261 N.W.2d at 495.

In this case, the device utilized by the DCI would begin recording as soon as the receiver was picked up and would stop when the receiver was put down. Terri Goeders was merely required to rewind the tape, eject it, place it in a plastic case, and deliver it to the DCI. The evidence reflects she was trained in these procedures and performed them properly. The evidence also reflects the machine functioned properly and the chain of custody of the tapes made was not breached. As such, we conclude it was not required that Terri review the tapes before they could be admitted. Nor was it necessary for the speakers on the tape to be properly identified. Throughout the conversations one of the parties to them is referred to as “Kline” (the defendant). Furthermore, both Terri and Goeders testified at trial regarding the statements recorded on the tapes.

We conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion by determining the foundation for the tapes and transcripts clearly established they were accurate and trustworthy.

Goeders also contends the tapes and transcripts constituted inadmissible hearsay. However, admissions are excluded from the definition of hearsay under Iowa law. Iowa R. Evid. 801(d); State v. Kidd, 239 N.W.2d 860, 864 (Iowa 1976). The trial court admitted the tapes and transcripts as admissions and we conclude the court was correct to do so.

II. Right to Confront. Goeders asserts his right to confront witnesses against him was violated by the admission into evidence of the tapes and transcripts after Terri Goeders testified. He contends he was not given the opportunity to cross-examine Terri after the playing of the tapes.

The right of confrontation is primarily to secure for a defendant the opportunity of cross-examination. State v. Holland, 389 N.W.2d 375, 378-79 (Iowa 1986). A secondary purpose of the confrontation clause is to allow the tribunal the opportunity to adequately observe the demeanor of the witness while testifying. State v. Strable, 313 N.W.2d 497, 500 (Iowa 1981).

The record reflects Terri Goeders testified at length about the recording procedure and the taped conversations themselves on direct and cross-examination. Goeders’ trial counsel had ample opportunity to question her on this issue and, in fact, did so. We conclude Goeders’ right of confrontation was not violated.

III. Felony Murder. Goeders asserts the evidence of the underlying felony in this case (attempted robbery) was insufficient to submit the felony murder charge to the jury. He notes there was no evidence any money had been taken from Mr.

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Related

State v. Kidd
239 N.W.2d 860 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1976)
Conner v. State
362 N.W.2d 449 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1985)
State v. Roth
403 N.W.2d 762 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1987)
State v. Klindt
389 N.W.2d 670 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1986)
State v. Holland
389 N.W.2d 375 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1986)
State v. Coil
264 N.W.2d 293 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1978)
State v. Russell
261 N.W.2d 490 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1978)
State v. Hamilton
335 N.W.2d 154 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1983)
State v. Koenighain
356 N.W.2d 237 (Court of Appeals of Iowa, 1984)
State v. Strable
313 N.W.2d 497 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1981)
State v. Mulder
313 N.W.2d 885 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1981)
State v. Wilson
406 N.W.2d 442 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
423 N.W.2d 901, 1988 Iowa App. LEXIS 31, 1988 WL 54346, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-goeders-iowactapp-1988.