Williamson v. United States 512 U.S. 594, 114 S.Ct. 2431, 129 L.Ed.2d 476 (1994) A search of Harris' car turned up 19 kgs of cocaine. He was arrested. Harris told a DEA agent that the cocaine belonged to Williamson. Harris told two contradictory stories about the cocaine, though both involved Williamson. Harris refused to sign a written statement or testify at trial because he claimed he was afraid of Williamson. Williamson was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. At trial, the prosecution attempted to introduce Harris' statements into evidence.  Williamson objected. Williamson argued that Harris' statements were hearsay. The prosecution argued that they were admissible as statements against interest by a now unavailable witness under the FRE 804(b)(3) exception. The Trial Judge admitted Harris' statement. The Trial Court convicted Williamson of drug trafficking.  He appealed. The Appellate Court affirmed.  Williamson appealed. The US Supreme Court reversed. The US Supreme Court found that in order for a statement to be admissible under FRE 804(b)(3) the statement must be clearly against the declarant's penal interest and that a reasonable person in the declarant's position would not have made the statement unless believing it to be true. Harris admitted to possessing the drugs.  Claiming that they belonged to Williamson was not self-incriminating, in fact it was exculpatory.  Therefore, the statement was not against Harris' interest and is not covered by the FRE 804(b)(3) exception. Harris' statements "provided only marginal evidence of his guilt.  They project an image of a person action not against his penal interest, but striving mightily to shift principle responsibility to someone else."