Opinion ID: 885841
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Did the District Court err when it admitted the testimony of police officer Steve Swanson regarding pre- Miranda statements made by Clausell?

Text: ¶ 47 Billings Police Officer Steve Swanson was the first police officer to respond once hospital personnel informed the police there was a gunshot victim in the emergency room. At trial, Officer Swanson testified regarding the initial conversation he had with Clausell in which Clausell recounted a version of the events leading up to Trottier's injury inconsistent with the version he recounted at trial. ¶ 48 On appeal, Clausell argues that Officer Swanson failed to read him the Miranda warnings before they spoke and, therefore, that the testimony should have been stricken from the record. However, Clausell fails to support this argument with any analysis of or citation to legal authority as required by Rule 23(a)(4), M.R.App.P. We have previously held that the obligation to establish error by a district court falls squarely on the appellant. See State v. Carter (1997), 285 Mont. 449, 461, 948 P.2d 1173, 1180. It is not this Court's obligation to conduct legal research on an appellant's behalf or to develop legal analysis that may lend support to his position. Johansen v. State, Dept. of Natural Resources, 1998 MT 51, ¶ 24, 288 Mont. 39, ¶ 24, 955 P.2d 653, ¶ 24 (citing Carter, 285 Mont. at 461, 948 P.2d at 1180). Without citation to legal authority, Clausell fails to establish error. ¶ 49 Moreover, Clausell failed to object at trial or otherwise raise this issue before the trial court. Because Clausell does not argue that any exception to the contemporaneous objection rule is applicable, his arguments are not properly before us. See section 46-20-104(2), MCA. Clausell having failed to support his argument with citation to legal authority and having failed to preserve the issue for appeal, we decline to address this issue further.