Question

A defendant was charged with possession of marijuana and felony possession of a firearm. The gun was found under the defendant's bed next to a stash of marijuana. The defendant gave the police a written statement that said the defendant knew the marijuana was there but the defendant did not know about the gun. At trial, the agent who interrogated the defendant testified that the defendant wrote that the defendant knew the marijuana was there. The defense objected that these words, taken alone, were misleading and asked that the full statement be admitted under the rule of completeness. This circuit uses the rule of completeness as a rule of admissibility. Will the defendant's statement about the gun be admitted at the same time as the statement regarding the marijuana?

Answer 1

Under the rule of completeness, the defendant's statement about the gun should be admitted alongside the marijuana-related statement to avoid being misleading and to provide full context in court.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, the defendant's statement about the gun should be admitted at the same time as the statement regarding the marijuana, based on the rule of completeness. This rule of completeness is a principle in law that dictates when part of a statement has been introduced into evidence, the entire statement should be considered to prevent misleading the court or taking things out of context. Since the circuit uses the rule of completeness as an admissibility rule, the defendant's assertion of ignorance about the gun would be included to provide the full context of his statement about the marijuana. In a trial, it's important for the fact-finders to have the entire statement to accurately assess the defendant's claims and intentions.