Opinion ID: 626118
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jordan's failure to object to the direct examination of C.A. during trial

Text: The Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right to confront the prosecution's witnesses through cross-examination, Boggs v. Collins, 226 F.3d 728, 736 (6th Cir.2000), as well as a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense, Crane v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 683, 690, 106 S.Ct. 2142, 90 L.Ed.2d 636 (1986) (internal quotation marks omitted). A prototypical confrontation-clause violation occurs when the witness is unavailable and the defendant did not have an opportunity to cross-examine the witness regarding the proffered testimony. Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 53-54, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004) (explaining that the admission of testimonial statements of a witness who did not appear at trial constitutes a confrontation-clause violation unless [the witness] was unavailable to testify, and the defendant had a prior opportunity for cross-examination). Jordan does not argue that he was completely denied the opportunity to cross-examine C.A. The record in fact reflects that defense counsel engaged in a relatively lengthy cross-examination covering most of the topics raised in her direct examination. Although this case does not present a typical confrontation-clause violation, Jordan refers in his appellate brief to his inability to cross-examine the complainant. We believe that Jordan probably intended to refer to K.W. in this portion of his brief rather than C.A., since the remainder of the brief focuses on the exchange with K.W. But in the event that he may have actually intended the complainant to refer to C.A., we conclude that any challenge regarding her cross-examination must fail. There is no evidence in the record that defense counsel attempted to cross-examine C.A. about her sexual history, and Jordan admits as much. Jordan cannot now base a confrontation-clause error on his trial counsel's strategies or shortcomings in not posing these questions to C.A. Defense counsel also failed to object on rape-shield grounds to the State's questioning of C.A., so there is no trial-court ruling for us to review. As a result, Jordan waived any challenge to the scope of C.A.'s cross-examination. See Campbell v. Coyle, 260 F.3d 531, 558 (6th Cir.2001) (concluding that the petitioner procedurally defaulted a claim where he failed to object to the testimony at issue during trial and was found to have waived the objection upon appeal); see also State v. Geboy, 145 Ohio App.3d 706, 764 N.E.2d 451, 466 (2001) (cautioning that the failure to object at trial may constitute a waiver).