Opinion ID: 1385179
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Evidence of the Boundary Line

Text: Mr. Legg argues that there was insufficient evidence offered at trial to prove the actual location of the boundary line between the Holland and Bruner properties, as required under State v. Williams, 209 W.Va. 25, 543 S.E.2d 306 (2000). We do not find it necessary to reach this issue, because Mr. Legg did not properly preserve this issue for appeal. Mr. Legg did not raise this issue during the trial and did not raise this issue in his motion for a new trial; nor did he raise this issue in his petition for appeal to this Court. Mr. Legg raises this issue for the first time in his appellate brief. This Court has repeatedly declined to hear issues on appeal that were not developed, although the opportunity existed, at the trial court level. As a general rule, proceedings of trial courts are presumed to be regular, unless the contrary affirmatively appears upon the record, and errors assigned for the first time in an appellate court will not be regarded in any matter of which the trial court had jurisdiction or which might have been remedied in the trial court if objected to there. Syllabus Point 17, State v. Thomas, 157 W.Va. 640, 203 S.E.2d 445 (1974). In Syllabus Point 2 of State v. Salmons, 203 W.Va. 561, 509 S.E.2d 842 (1998), we wrote As a general matter, a defendant may not assign as error, for the first time on direct appeal, an issue that could have been presented initially for review by the trial court on a post-trial motion. Finally, in Dean v. WV Dept. of Motor Vehicles, we declined to consider an issue raised for the first time in the appellant's brief filed in support of his petition to this Court. 195 W.Va. 70, 464 S.E.2d 589 (1995). Thus, with regards to whether or not the boundary line in this case was properly established during trial, we find that the issue was not properly raised for decision by this Court.