Opinion ID: 2363213
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Did the Unconstitutional Admission of the Chemist's Report Affect Appellant's Substantial Rights?

Text: In order to show that the nonstructural error in this case affected his substantial rights, appellant must show a reasonable probability that the Confrontation Clause violation had a prejudicial effect on the outcome of his trial. See United States v. Dominguez Benitez, 542 U.S. 74, 81-82, 124 S.Ct. 2333, 159 L.Ed.2d 157 (2004) (In cases where the burden of demonstrating prejudice (or materiality) is on the defendant seeking relief, we have invoked a standard with similarities to the Kotteakos [v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946)] formulation in requiring the showing of `a reasonable probability that, but for [the error claimed], the result of the proceeding would have been different.') (citations omitted); [27] see also Olano, 507 U.S. at 735, 113 S.Ct. 1770 (Normally, although perhaps not in every case, the defendant must make a specific showing of prejudice to satisfy the `affecting substantial rights' prong of Rule 52(b).). [28] The error in this case had an obviously prejudicial effect on the outcome of appellant's trial. The DEA chemist's report was the main, if indeed not the only, proof offered by the prosecution that the ziplocks distributed by appellant contained a measurable amount of a mixture containing cocaine  an essential element of the drug distribution offense with which appellant was charged. See Hicks v. United States, 697 A.2d 805, 807 (D.C.1997); D.C.Code § 48-902.06(1)(D) (2001); cf. Bernard v. United States, 575 A.2d 1191, 1194-95 (D.C.1990) (holding circumstantial evidence sufficient to establish that defendant sold a usable amount of marijuana). This is enough to establish that the erroneous admission of the report affected appellant's substantial rights. See, e.g., Drayton v. United States, 877 A.2d 145, 148-49 (D.C.2005) (holding that if trial court's verdict was based on hearsay statements of victim admitted in violation of the Confrontation Clause, the error clearly would not only affect substantial rights but would seriously affect the fairness and integrity of the proceedings); United States v. Bruno, 383 F.3d 65, 79-80 (2d Cir.2004) (holding that defendant's substantial rights were affected by unconstitutional admission of out-of-court testimonial statements that established elements of the charged offenses). The third prong of the test for plain error is satisfied.