Slide 1 ___________________________________ Error Preserv rvation - - PDF document

Slide 1

Error Preserv rvation

Presented by Matthew Brummond

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The need to object

• Plain error is ALWAYS discretionary. “Even when all three prerequisites are

established, whether to correct error remains discretionary with the appellate court.” State v. LaRock, 196 W. Va. 294, 317, 470 S.E.2d 613, 636 (1996).

• General rule: —"Where objections were not shown to have been made in the

trial court, and the matters concerned were not jurisdictional in character, such objections will not be considered on appeal.” Syl. Pt. 1, State Rd. Comm'n

• v. Ferguson, 148 W. Va. 742 (1964).
• Must flag plain error in appeal. WVRAP 10(c)(3).

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Purpose

• Helps make your case, both on appeal and at trial.
• Give the circuit court an opportunity to correct. Konchesky v. S. J.

Groves & Sons Co., 148 W. Va. 411, 414, 135 S.E.2d 299, 302 (1964).

• Give the proponent an opportunity to reframe. State v. McFarland, 175
• W. Va. 205, 220, 332 S.E.2d 217, 232 (1985).
• “Expedite finality[.]” Cleckley, 1-66 (5th Ed.).

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What you need to do:

• W. Va. Crim. P. R. 51, WVRE 103:
• Timely
• Specific
• Need a ruling
• Object!
• “The rule in West Virginia is that parties must speak clearly in the circuit

court, on pain that, if they forget their lines, they will likely be bound forever to hold their peace…[T]he contours for appeal are shaped at the circuit court level by setting forth with particularity and at the appropriate time the legal ground upon which the parties intend to rely.” SER Cooper v. Caperton, 196

• W. Va. 208, 216, 470 S.E.2d 162, 170 (1996).

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Timely

• Criminal depositions—can’t wait until trial. W. Va. Crim. Pro.
• R. 15(f).
• Contemporaneous enough that court/OC can remedy.
• E.g. State v. Fykes, No. 13-0421, 2016 WL 3356829 (W. Va. 2016).

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Specific

• General objection will suffice if the court doesn’t give you time to

explain yourself. But make your record in some fashion.

• Objection must be particular enough that the opposing party can

respond and the court can remedy the mistake.

• Cover all possible grounds. “[S]pecifying a certain ground is…a waiver
• f other grounds not specified.” Cleckley, 1-56–57 (5th Ed.).
• Does not need to be specific if the problem is obvious.*

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General Specific

Appea eals court will affirm if ther ere e is any basis for admitting the e ev eviden ence e or if the e proponent nent of the e ev eviden ence e could have e rem emed edied ed the e problem em had the e objec ection been een spec ecific en enough to put them em on notice.

• e. Ie

Ie, by laying a proper er foundation. Likel ely harmles ess if ther ere e is an alter ernative e ev eviden entiary rule e per ermitting the e admitted ed ev eviden ence. e. This is why it’s important to be comprehensive in addition to spec ecific. If ANY ground for exclusion exists, appeals court will affirm. Court will presume the judge ruled upon the proper ground. Loser can overcome this presumption by pressing the judge to state the ground for sustaining the objection. Appeals court will find error if the stated ground for

• bjection is incorrect.

This is so even if the evidence could have been excluded on another ground.

Overruled Sustained

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Need a ruling.

• Court has to rule definitively.
• Move to strike/limit. WVRE 105:

“If the court admits evidence that is admissible against a party or for a purpose--but not against another party or for another purpose--the court, on timely request, must restrict the evidence to its proper scope and instruct the jury accordingly.”

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What can go wrong

• Waiver by use. Keller v. Wonn, 140 W. Va. 860, 87 S.E.2d 353

(1955). But see State v. Richards, 190 W. Va. 299, 438 S.E.2d 331 (1993).

• Failure to object: Evidence is part of the record and the jury can use it for

any purpose. State v. Reed, 223 W. Va. 312, 674 S.E.2d 18 (2009).

• Striking/limiting/vouching are separate requirements. Jones v. Garnes,

183 W. Va. 304, 395 S.E.2d 548 (1990) (per curiam).

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Solution

• NOT post-trial motions. See Neill v. Rogers Bros.

Produce Co., 38 W. Va. 228, 18 S.E. 563 (1893).

• Pretrial motions/motions in limine. WVRE 103; W. Va. Crim. P. R.

12(b).

• Motions in limine ARE binding if the ruling is definitive. WVRE 103(b).
• Some motions MUST be filed pretrial. W. Va. Crim. P. R. 12(b).

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Specific issues

• Continuing objections recognized in WV.
• Constitutional grounds
• Concurrent grounds—e.g., Confrontation Clause and hearsay
• Co-counsel cases
• General objections from opposing counsel
• Opening statement, Closing argument—can object pre-emptively.

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Strategery

• Bad reason not to object—worried about the

judge’s/jury’s feelings.

• Consider not objecting to problems of form if it would only result in the
• pposing counsel an opportunity to be more persuasive.
• Similarly, if a pretrial motion could help OC make a better case. E.g.,

bad expert.

• Consider whether OC’s inadmissible evidence opens the door.*

*this strategy doesn’t work if the only basis for exclusion is relevance.

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