Opinion ID: 2549935
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Admission of Adams' Confession

Text: Adams' sixth issue questions the admission of his confession under Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 158 L. Ed. 2d 177, 124 S. Ct. 1354 (2004). Adams argues for the first time on appeal that he was faced with a Hobson's choice: Either allow the statements he made to police to go unchallenged, or surrender his constitutional right not to testify. Adams asserts he should not have to forego one constitutional right to preserve another. Issues pertaining to the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution raise questions of law, and our standard of review is de novo. See State v. Johnson-Howell, 255 Kan. 928, 938, 881 P.2d 1288 (1994). However, as a general rule, issues that were not raised before the trial court are not eligible to be raised on appeal. State v. Williams, 275 Kan. 284, 288, 64 P.3d 353 (2003). This court has recognized several exceptions to this general rule: `(1) the newly asserted theory involves only a question of law arising on proved or admitted facts and which is finally determinative of the case; (2) questions are raised for the first time on appeal if consideration of the same is necessary to serve the ends of justice or to prevent denial of fundamental rights; and (3) the judgment of a trial court may be upheld on appeal although that court may have relied on the wrong ground or assigned a wrong reason for its decision. [Citations omitted.]' State v. Wiegand, 275 Kan. 841, 844-45, 69 P.3d 627 (2003) (quoting State v. Mincey, 265 Kan. 257, 267, 963 P.2d 403 [1998]). Adams contends that this issue falls within either the first or the second category of exceptions. Because Adams' right not to be compelled to testify against himself and his right to confront witnesses are at stake, we address the merits of this issue under the second exception. In State v. Meeks, 277 Kan. 609, 614, 88 P.3d 789 (2004), this court held that Crawford v. Washington stood for the proposition that witnesses' out-of-court statements that are testimonial are barred under the Confrontation Clause unless (1) the witnesses are unavailable and (2) the defendants had [a] prior opportunity to cross-examine those witnesses. We rejected this argument in Torres, 280 Kan. at 319-20. We see no reason to depart from that ruling here.