Opinion ID: 1465675
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Sixth Amendment Right to Confront Ashley Heath

Text: In Johnson I, we held that some of Ashley Heath's statements to officers constituted excited utterances and did not violate the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause. 326 Ark. At 438-45. At retrial, trial counsel made hearsay objections to these statements. In Johnson II, we rejected any appeal on the issue on law of the case grounds and because it was not supported by argument or authority. 342 Ark. at 202-03, 27 S.W.3d 405. Mr. Johnson contended in his petition that this court wrongly ruled on the issue in Johnson II, and that counsel was ineffective in failing to preserve the issue for review. The circuit court refused to consider appellant's claim, ruling that it was an attempt to reargue an issue settled on direct appeal. On appeal, appellant again argues that the confrontation issues were preserved for review, and, if not, counsel was ineffective in failing to preserve the issue. However, these arguments regarding preservation are irrelevant. We did not rule in Johnson II that the issue was not preserved for review  we rejected any appeal on the issue because it was not supported by argument or authority, and, alternatively, because we had decided the issue in Johnson I. As such, Mr. Johnson's argument that counsel was ineffective in failing to preserve the issue is without merit on its face. In addition to the preservation argument presented in the Rule 37 hearing, Mr. Johnson has now raised a new argument on appeal: that counsel was ineffective in failing to sufficiently argue the issue in the Johnson II appeal. This argument was not raised below and was not ruled on by the circuit court; therefore, we do not consider it. See Nooner v. State, 339 Ark. 253, 4 S.W.3d 497 (1999). Even if a Confrontation Clause challenge constitutes an exception for some issues not raised below and preserved on appeal where the error is so fundamental as to render the judgment of conviction void and subject to collateral attack, see State v. Montague, 341 Ark. 144, 147, 14 S.W.3d 867 (2000), this court already decided the issue in Johnson I and rejected reconsideration in Johnson II. Thus, as the circuit court ruled, Mr. Johnson cannot reargue in his Rule 37 petition issues settled below. Furthermore, he suffered no Strickland prejudice because the outcome of his appeal would have been the same. See Sanford v. State, 342 Ark. 22, 28-29, 25 S.W.3d 414 (2000) (failing to raise objection without merit does not equate to ineffective assistance). For these reasons, the trial court is affirmed on this issue.