Opinion ID: 1135401
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: ruling on the confrontation clause

Text: Even if we assume the trial court's ruling admitted the letter in question, the record does not support Fisher's contention that this ruling violated Fisher's Sixth Amendment right to confront Lenell, the purported author of the letter. The Sixth Amendment assures the defendant of the right to confront any witnesses who are called to testify against him and it is a fundamental right made obligatory on the states by the Fourteenth Amendment. Pointer v. Texas, 380 U.S. 400, 85 S.Ct. 1065, 13 L.Ed.2d 923 (1965). If applied strictly this right of confrontation would abrogate virtually every hearsay exception, but the courts have held that other competing interests justify exceptions to the right in certain circumstances. See Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284, 93 S.Ct. 1038, 35 L.Ed.2d 297 (1973). In determining whether hearsay will be permitted in spite of an alleged violation of the defendant's Confrontation Clause rights, this Court noted that the Supreme Court mandates an analysis on two fronts: whether the declarant is unavailable and whether the statement bears adequate guarantees of reliability and trustworthiness to allow it placed before the trier of fact. State v. Mee, 102 Idaho 474, 479, 632 P.2d 663, 668 (1981), overruled on other grounds by State v. Elisondo, 114 Idaho 412, 757 P.2d 675 (1988). There is no indication in the record before this Court that the trial court made any findings about the reliability of the letter from Lenell, or indeed that the letter was even examined by the judge. Moreover, it would appear that the trial court did not even rule on the Confrontation Clause issue. The trial judge indicated only that he felt the right of confrontation may be a separate matter. He did not then give any definite ruling as to whether the letter from Lenell would or would not be a violation of the defendant's rights under the Confrontation Clause. We will not review a trial court's alleged error on appeal unless the record discloses an adverse ruling which forms the basis for the assignment of error. Dunclick, Inc. v. Utah-Idaho Concrete Pipe Co., 77 Idaho 499, 502, 295 P.2d 700, 702 (1956).