Opinion ID: 2304125
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Interference with Use of a Telephone

Text: Finally, defendant contends that there was insufficient evidence produced at trial to prove that he was guilty of obstructing or damaging a telephone needed for an emergency call in violation of § 11-35-14. The defendant argues that there was no evidence that an emergency situation existed at the time Hannah called the police because no one was in danger of being killed or in need of immediate aid. [11] During the trial, however, defendant raised a substantially different defense that he does not address on appeal; he argued that the call, which he implicitly conceded was an emergency call, was not obstructed. He based his argument on the facts that (1) Hannah actually made contact with the police when she used the land line in defendant's home before that call was interrupted and (2) the police in fact responded to that call. He did not raise in the trial court the issue of whether or not an emergency situation existed. In his decision, the trial justice pointed to the fact that defendant admitted to the police that he ripped the phone from the wall. The trial justice concluded that the phone had been rendered inoperable as a result. The trial justice never addressed the issue of whether or not an emergency existed, and there is no indication that defendant raised the issue. This Court's well settled raise-or-waive rule precludes us from considering at the appellate level issues not properly presented before the trial court. State v. Gomes, 881 A.2d 97, 113 (R.I.2005); State v. Gomez, 848 A.2d 221, 237 (R.I.2004); State v. Donato, 592 A.2d 140, 141 (R.I. 1991) ([A]n issue that has not been raised and articulated previously at trial is not properly preserved for appellate review.). In our judgment, the defendant did not preserve for appeal the issue of whether or not an emergency situation existed; therefore, we decline to discuss the merits of his argument in that regard.