Opinion ID: 179514
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bass's Statement

Text: Even though the district court may have improperly relied on the forfeiture-by-wrongdoing exception to admit Bass's statement, and even though Henderson never had a chance to cross-examine Bass, the government contends that admission of the statement does not run afoul of the Sixth Amendment because Bass's statement is not testimonial hearsay. Indeed, Bass's offer to provide information to the FBI was introduced not to show that he provided truthful information regarding the location of the weapon and vehicle used in the bank robbery, but to show that he made the offer to assist authorities. Whether or not Bass actually possessed and provided the information he claimed to have was irrelevant to the inquiry whether Henderson retaliated against Bass for giving information to the authorities. However, the fact that Bass made such an offer to the FBI tends to show that Bass cooperated with the government in the bank robbery prosecution, thus bringing his murder within the purview of retaliation under 18 U.S.C. § 1513(a)(1)(B). Consequently, Bass's offer to provide information to the FBI was admissible over Henderson's Confrontation Clause objection because it was not testimonial hearsay offered to establish the truth of the matter asserted, but was introduced only to establish the verbal act. See Crawford, 541 U.S. at 59 n. 9, 124 S.Ct. 1354 (The [Confrontation] Clause does not bar the use of testimonial statements for purposes other than establishing the truth of the matter asserted.); United States v. Childs, 539 F.3d 552, 559 (6th Cir.2008) (finding statement admissible non-hearsay as it was relevant to show that the declaration was made, not the truth of the declaration); United States v. Goosby, 523 F.3d 632, 638 (6th Cir.2008) (finding no Confrontation Clause violation where declarant did not make statements that would be characterized as testimonial hearsay). Furthermore, the fact that the district court incorrectly relied on the forfeiture-by-wrongdoing doctrine in admitting Bass's statement, as opposed to the non-hearsay rationale, is of no consequence. A decision below must be affirmed if correct for any reason, including a reason not considered by the lower court. Childs, 539 F.3d at 559 (quoting Russ' Kwik Car Wash, Inc. v. Marathon Petroleum Co., 772 F.2d 214, 216 (6th Cir.1985)). It follows that the district court's decision to admit Bass's statement into evidence was not reversible error.