Opinion ID: 1058965
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Edward Bender

Text: In assignment of error 54, Muhammad argues that the trial court erred in admitting certain laboratory reports of the Virginia Department of Forensic Science through Edward Bender, a chemist at the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. His assignment of error asserts that admission of the report constituted a violation of a right to confront the person who undertook that analysis pursuant to Crawford v. Washington,  541 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004). Crawford had not been decided at the time of Muhammad's trial. No objection was made at trial based upon Sixth Amendment rights. Muhammad's objections were based upon compliance with Code ง 19.2-187 not constitutional concerns. The objections on appeal based upon the Sixth Amendment and Crawford were not preserved at trial. We will not consider them. Rule 5:25.