Opinion ID: 70766
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: rickard's other issues

Text: 24 Rickard argues that the district court erred in refusing, on hearsay grounds, to admit certain post-arrest statements of King, that were exculpatory of Rickard. 2 At trial, Rickard sought to have King's post-arrest statements admitted as exceptions to the hearsay rule, under Federal Rules of Evidence 803(1), (2), and (24), and 804(b)(3). After hearing extensive arguments from all of the parties, the district court granted the government's motion in limine to exclude King's post-arrest statements. Although Rickard wished to make further arguments at that time, the court stated that it needed to move ahead, and that if counsel feel at a certain point that they should be entitled to ask about [King's post-arrest statement], bring it up outside the jury's presence and [the court] will reconsider it. Thereafter, during the trial, the court did hear additional argument and reconsider whether to admit King's post-arrest statements, but the court decided not to do so. 25 On appeal, Rickard raises a new argument for the admission of King's post-arrest statements--that those statements should have been admitted for the limited purpose of impeaching, in accordance with Federal Rule of Evidence 806, statements made by King that tended to incriminate Rickard. Certain pre-arrest statements made by King that tended to incriminate Rickard were admitted, over Rickard's objection, under the co-conspirator exception to the hearsay rule. See Fed.R.Evid. 801(d)(2)(E). Rickard now argues that King's post-arrest statements should have been admitted under Rule 806, because that rule allows a party to attack or support the credibility of a hearsay declarant by any evidence which would be admissible for those purposes if [the] declarant had testified as a witness. Rickard's argument is that because King's post-arrest statements exculpating King would have been admissible as prior inconsistent statements had King actually testified to the Rule 801(d)(2)(E) statements incriminating Rickard, those post-arrest statements should have been admitted under Rule 806 even though King did not take the stand. The argument appears to have merit, but it comes too late. 26 Rickard's theory for the admission of King's post-arrest statements under Rule 806 was not even suggested at trial, 3 and is thus a new, previously unasserted basis for the admissibility of [the] evidence. United States v. Grapp, 653 F.2d 189, 194 (5th Cir. Aug. 10, 1981). As a general rule, a reviewing court will only consider those matters first raised in the trial court. Id.; see also United States v. Walther, 867 F.2d 1334, 1343 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 848, 110 S.Ct. 144, 107 L.Ed.2d 103 (1989); United States v. Thompson, 710 F.2d 1500, 1504 (11th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1050, 104 S.Ct. 730, 79 L.Ed.2d 190 (1984). When, as here, the proper basis for admission is not presented to the district court, we can review the court's evidentiary ruling only for plain error. See, e.g., Walther, 867 F.2d at 1343-44 (rejecting party's previously unasserted objection to evidence admitted at trial because not plain error); see also Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b). 27 The Supreme Court has established a three-step process for analyzing plain error: (1) there must be error; (2) the error must be plain; and (3) the error must affect substantial rights. United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 730-32, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 1776, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993); see also, United States v. Vazquez, 53 F.3d 1216 (11th Cir.1995). If these three prongs are met, we then have the discretion to correct the error, and we should do so if that error 'seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.'  Vazquez, 53 F.3d at 1221 (quoting Olano, 507 U.S. at 736, 113 S.Ct. at 1779) (alteration in original). The plain error test is difficult to meet, and its purpose ... is to enforce the requirement that parties object to errors at trial in a timely manner so as to provide the trial judge an opportunity to avoid or correct any error, and thus avoid the costs of reversal. United States v. Sorondo, 845 F.2d 945, 948-49 (11th Cir.1988) (quoting United States v. Chaney, 662 F.2d 1148, 1151 n. 4 (5th Cir. Unit B 1981)). 28 We need not discuss the entire plain error test because the second prong of the test--that the alleged error be plain--is not met. The Supreme Court has stated that  '[p]lain' is synonymous with 'clear' or, equivalently, 'obvious.'  Olano, 507 U.S. at 734, 113 S.Ct. at 1777. The government argues that even assuming that the district court's refusal to admit King's post-arrest statements was error, the error was not plain because Rickard failed to even indirectly raise the Rule 806 basis for the statements' admission despite repeated opportunities to do so. 29 We agree with the government that Rickard's failure throughout the trial to argue even indirectly the basis he now asserts for the statements' admission, despite repeated opportunities to do so, indicates that the error, if any, is not plain. This is not a situation where, due to lack of attention or the pace of events, ground was skipped over. Instead, Rickard's counsel focused considerable energy on getting King's post-arrest statements into evidence, and in her arguments to the district court she thoroughly plowed the ground for admissibility, but did not raise the basis she now asserts. The district court heard from counsel before trial, correctly rejected every basis of admissibility she argued, invited her to return to the matter as it arose during the trial, heard from her again, and again correctly rejected every proffered basis for admissibility. 4 If the error in not admitting the hearsay statements had been plain, as the plain error rule requires, then Rickard's counsel, who is quite experienced in federal criminal defense work, and who focused at some length upon the matter, would have recognized the basis for admissibility and brought it to the attention of the district court. She did not. To apply the plain error exception to the contemporaneous objection rule in such circumstances would lead to the exception swallowing the rule, much to the detriment of the important values protected by the rule. Accordingly, we hold that the district court did not commit plain error in refusing to admit the statements.