Opinion ID: 1058329
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Plain Error Review Gomez

Text: Gomez initially objected to the statement's introduction, but his objection was not based on the Sixth Amendment. Guartos told the police that the group had used two rented vans which they got from someone in Miami for twenty-five-hundred dollars ($2,500.00), and Gomez objected to allowing the detectives to testify about the amount paid for the rented van, in particular, the words for twenty-five-hundred dollars ($2,500.00). The prosecution agreed not to introduce testimony about this portion of the oral statement. In responding to questions from the trial court, Gomez confirmed that his objection had been limited as described above and also confirmed that his objection was withdrawn in light of the prosecution's willingness not to introduce that testimony. Gomez did not challenge the statement's admission in his motion for new trial or in his appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals. Having failed to preserve the issue in the courts below, Gomez is limited in this Court to seeking relief via plain error review. Rule 52(b) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure provides that [a]n error which has affected the substantial rights of an accused may be noticed at any time, even though not raised in the motion for a new trial or assigned as error on appeal, in the discretion of the appellate court where necessary to do substantial justice. (emphasis added); see also Tenn. R.App. P. 36(b) (A final judgment ... shall not be set aside unless, considering the whole record, error involving a substantial right more probably than not affected the judgment or would result in prejudice to the judicial process.) (emphasis added). Plain error review extends only to a clear, conspicuous, or obvious error which affects the substantial rights of the defendant. United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 732, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993) (analyzing the substantially similar Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 52(b)). Whether an error is plain or obvious is determined by reference to the law existing as of the time of appellate consideration. Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 468, 117 S.Ct. 1544, 137 L.Ed.2d 718 (1997). Moreover, relief is warranted only if the plain error prejudiced the defendant by affecting the outcome of the trial court proceedings. Id. at 732-37, 113 S.Ct. 1770; State v. Faulkner, 154 S.W.3d 48, 58 (Tenn.2005). Although very similar to harmless error analysis, plain error review places on the defendant the burden of persuasion, whereas the State bears the burden of persuasion when an appellate court conducts a harmless error analysis. Olano, 507 U.S. at 732-37, 113 S.Ct. 1770. The substantive standards for plain error review are difficult to satisfy. An appellate court will reverse for plain error only if: (a) the record ... clearly establish[es] what occurred in the trial court; (b) a clear and unequivocal rule of law [has] been breached; (c) a substantial right of the accused [has] been adversely affected; (d) the accused did not waive the issue for tactical reasons; and (e) consideration of the error is necessary to do substantial justice. State v. Smith, 24 S.W.3d 274, 282 (Tenn. 2000) (quoting State v. Adkisson, 899 S.W.2d 626, 641-42 (Tenn.Crim.App.1994)). All five factors must be established, and an appellate court need not consider all five factors if any one factor indicates that relief is not warranted. Smith, 24 S.W.3d at 283. Consideration of factor (d) indicates that Gomez is not entitled to relief. The record clearly establishes what occurred in the trial court: Gomez withdrew his objection to Guartos' statement, and he did so for tactical reasons. [10] Here, Gomez did not simply fail to object. Instead Gomez objected to testimony indicating that the group had rented the vans for $2,500 from a person in Miami. Gomez withdrew his objection when the prosecution agreed not to elicit such testimony. The information about the price paid for the rental van did not directly implicate Gomez. Nevertheless, this information, considered in conjunction with the receipt police found in Gomez's apartment for a $2,500 money transfer from Gomez's roommate in Miami to an individual in Bogota, Columbia, reveals the tactical nature of Gomez's objection and his willingness to withdraw it. Having failed to satisfy at least one of the plain error review factors, Gomez is not entitled to relief on this claim.