Opinion ID: 1706994
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Whether the trial court erred in allowing rebuttal testimony by the investigating officer concerning the results of a Mississippi Crime Lab test report; thereby depriving the defendant of his constitutional right of confrontation?

Text: ¶ 14. Throughout the investigation and the trial, Zoerner maintained that he hit a mailbox the night Richardson was killed. During redirect examination, Zoerner's attorney asked him at length if the police ever found blood or human tissue on the car Zoerner was driving. Then, the following exchange occurred between Zoerner and his attorney: [BY THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY]: Has there ever been, to your knowledge, in this case or from the police, a lab report from the Crime Lab to show, or a Crime Lab technician testify that they had blood or human tissue anywhere on the car? [BY ZOERNER]: No, sir. ¶ 15. Over defense counsel's objection, the State, during cross-examination, asked Zoerner if he recognized State's Exhibit 12 for identification (the Crime Lab Report). Zoerner stated that he did not. Also over defense counsel's objection, the State recalled the investigating officer as a rebuttal witness. The officer testified that he sent a sample of Zoerner's broken windshield to the Crime Lab, and that he received a report from the Lab, which indicated that the glass contained matter of human origin. The report was marked for identification, but was never admitted as evidence. ¶ 16. On appeal, Zoerner contends that his right to confrontation was violated when the results of the lab report were introduced without the testimony of the lab technician who prepared them. He cites cases which are based on the premise that [o]nly when hearsay evidence qualifies under a `firmly rooted hearsay exception' can it be admitted over a right to confrontation objection by the defendant. See Gossett v. State, 660 So.2d 1285, 1296 (Miss.1995) (quoting Ohio v. Roberts, 448 U.S. 56, 66, 100 S.Ct. 2531, 65 L.Ed.2d 597 (1980)). ¶ 17. However, the report was not introduced as evidence. Moreover, it is not hearsay, as it was not introduced to show the truth of the contents of the report, but, rather, the existence of the report. In addition, Zoerner opened the door for the rebuttal evidence by his testimony on redirect examination. See Smith v. State, 530 So.2d 155, 162 (Miss.1988). See also James v. Illinois, 493 U.S. 307, 312, 110 S.Ct. 648, 107 L.Ed.2d 676 (1990) (even in more egregious cases, where the disputed evidence is illegally obtained, a defendant's statements made in response to proper cross-examination reasonably suggested by the defendant's direct examination are subject to otherwise proper impeachment by the government, albeit by evidence that has been illegally obtained and that is inadmissible on the government's direct case, or otherwise, as substantive evidence of guilt). ¶ 18. Zoerner opened the door for this evidence when he testified on redirect that he was unaware of such a report. This created the misimpression that no such report existed. The State was within the proper scope of rebuttal, when it introduced evidence of the report's existence. See Gallion v. State, 517 So.2d 1364, 1372 (Miss.1987) (No accused should be permitted to deliberately mislead the jury when he knows precisely that the State has in its possession evidence to contradict him, and not expect the State to offer such evidence before the jury [in rebuttal]). For these reasons, this issue is without merit.