Opinion ID: 2978826
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Improper Authentication of the 911 Call

Text: Warlick claims that his federal due process rights were violated by the trial judge’s decision to admit Walker’s 911 call to the police. Because the Michigan Court of Appeals only considered the merits of this claim on state law grounds, this court considers this issue de novo. Danner, 448 F.3d at 376. Warlick argues that this phone call was not sufficiently authenticated, despite Walker's testimony that identified the tape as a recording of her phone call to 911. Again, even if the district court erred in dismissing Warlick’s claim as unexhausted—as determined by the district court—his claim still fails on the merits. The authentication of the 911 tape did not threaten the fundamental fairness of Warlick’s trial, especially since Walker authenticated the tape and the contents of the 911 call were not instrumental to Warlick’s conviction. See Bugh, 329 F.3d at 512.