United States v. Blazier

Amicus curiae brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in support of appellant. 

Brief filed: 05/13/2010

Documents

United States v. Blazier

United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; Case No. 09-0441/AF

Argument(s)

The defendant’s confrontation right precludes the use of drug testing lab “litigation packages” and surrogate expert witnesses (witnesses who testify not no first-hand knowledge of the facts, but as to the hearsay reports and opinions of others); admission of the drug test report materials at defendant’s trial pursuant to Military Rule of Evidence 803(6) violated his Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses against him; opinions offered by the prosecution under M.R.E. 703 cannot satisfy the requirements of the Confrontation Clause when the underlying facts or data come from a nontestifying person or entity.

Author(s)

Donald G. Rehkopf Jr., Brenna, Brenna & Boyce PLCC, Rochester, NY.