Opinion ID: 1753481
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admissibility of Autopsy Findings

Text: The autopsy of the victim was conducted by Dr. Dix, a medical examiner who passed away prior to trial. During the guilt phase of the trial, the state introduced Dr. Dix's curriculum vita and called Dr. Adelstein, another medical examiner, who offered testimony explaining Dr. Dix's conclusions. Trial counsel did not object. Glass argues trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object because admission of this evidence without Dr. Dix's testimony violated his rights under the Confrontation Clause as explained in Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004). Glass also alleges that appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to raise the issue on direct appeal. In Crawford , the Court substantially altered the Confrontation Clause analysis for hearsay evidence. State v. March, 216 S.W.3d 663, 665 (Mo. banc 2007). Cases before Crawford focused on whether the evidence at issue had adequate indicia of reliability to justify admission. The Crawford opinion held that the Confrontation Clause protects a defendant from the use of testimonial hearsay as substantive evidence against him, unless the non-testifying witness is unavailable, and the defendant has a prior, meaningful opportunity to cross-examine that witness. Crawford, 541 U.S. at 53-54, 124 S.Ct. 1354. The Confrontation Clause analysis thus centers on whether the particular evidence at issue is testimonial in nature. Id. at 51, 124 S.Ct. 1354. In reviewing an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, counsel's conduct is measured by what the law is at the time of trial. Counsel will generally not be held ineffective for failing to anticipate a change in the law. State v. Parker, 886 S.W.2d 908, 923 (Mo. banc 1994). Glass was tried and convicted before the Crawford case was decided. In order to make the Crawford objection at trial, counsel would have had to anticipate the Supreme Court's holding in an opinion that had not yet been issued. Glass attempts to avoid this problem by arguing that the United States Supreme Court established in Diaz v. United States, 223 U.S. 442, 32 S.Ct. 250, 56 L.Ed. 500 (1912), that autopsy reports are subject to the Confrontation Clause. The Diaz case does not support Glass' argument. In Diaz , the Court held only that an accused could waive his right to meet witnesses face to face under Section 5 of the Philippine civil government act and that, because of that waiver, the accused cannot now complain of the admission of evidence that included an autopsy report. 223 U.S. at 451-453, 32 S.Ct. 250. The Diaz case did not provide a pre-existing basis for a valid objection. Moreover, at the time of Glass' trial, Missouri law permitted one medical examiner to testify as to the results of another medical examiner's autopsy. See State v. Mahan, 971 S.W.2d 307, 316 (Mo. banc 1998). The motion court did not clearly err in finding that trial counsel was not ineffective. Because the court did not clearly err in finding that trial counsel was effective, the court also did not clearly err in rejecting Glass' claim that appellate counsel should have raised the issue on appeal. The motion court did not clearly err in denying relief on this claim.