Opinion ID: 1847325
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 24

Heading: several pieces of evidence were admitted although the state failed to establish a complete chain of custody.

Text: ś 154. Jerome asserts that the State did not properly establish through testimony the chains of custody for a number of exhibits introduced at trial. He argues that because of this failure on the part of the State, the sack and liquor bottle with Jerome's fingerprint, the keys to the victim's store, the bandanna, the bullets, the cash register tape, and the receipt from Burger King were all improperly admitted into evidence, thus requiring reversal. The State points out that no objection was made at trial on this basis and therefore this issue should be deemed waived. ś 155. At no time during trial or in his motion for new trial did Jerome object to the admission of this evidence on the basis of the State's failure to sufficiently establish the chain of custody. In fact, most of the evidence was admitted without any objection. The failure to make a contemporaneous objection bars Jerome from raising this issue for the first time on appeal. A trial judge will not be found in error on a matter not presented to him for decision. Jones v. State, 606 So.2d 1051, 1058 (Miss.1992) (citing Crenshaw v. State, 520 So.2d 131, 134 (Miss.1988); Howard v. State, 507 So.2d 58, 63 (Miss.1987)). See also Ballenger, 667 So.2d at 1259; Foster v. State, 639 So.2d 1263, 1270 (Miss.1994); Mitchell v. State, 609 So.2d 416, 422 (Miss.1992); Moawad v. State, 531 So.2d 632, 635 (Miss.1988). In those instances where there was an objection made to the introduction of evidence, it was on different grounds. `The assertion on appeal of grounds for an objection which was not the assertion at trial is not an issue properly preserved on appeal.' Ballenger, 667 So.2d at 1256 (quoting Haddox v. State, 636 So.2d 1229, 1240 (Miss.1994)); See also Baine v. State, 606 So.2d 1076 (Miss.1992); Miss. R. Evid. 103. ś 156. Furthermore, [t]his Court has held that the test with respect to whether there has been a break in the chain of custody of evidence is whether there is an indication of probable tampering. Nalls v. State, 651 So.2d 1074, 1077 (Miss.1995); Wells v. State, 604 So.2d 271, 277 (Miss.1992); Harrison v. State, 307 So.2d 557 (Miss.1975). [M]atters regarding the chain of custody of evidence are largely left to the discretion of the trial judge and will not be disturbed unless there appears to be an abuse of discretion. Nalls, 651 So.2d at 1077; Wells, 604 So.2d at 277; Nix v. State, 276 So.2d 652 (Miss. 1973). ś 157. The record reflects that the State sufficiently set out the chains of custody, and there is no evidence in this case that any of the items introduced into evidence by the State were tampered with in any way. Thus, this issue is not only procedurally barred, it is without merit.