State v. Copeland
306 P.3d 610
Or.2013Background
- S obtained a FAPA restraining order prohibiting Copeland from coming within 150 feet of certain locations; a deputy sheriff (Schweitzer) completed a certificate of service stating he personally served Copeland.
- Weeks later Copeland was arrested for being within 150 feet of the Savoy Tavern; state charged him with punitive contempt under ORS chapter 33 for violating the restraining order.
- At trial the state offered the deputy’s certificate of service to prove Copeland had notice; Copeland objected under Article I, §11 (Oregon) and the Sixth Amendment (Confrontation Clause) for failure to produce the declarant or show unavailability.
- Trial court admitted the certificate under the official records hearsay exception (OEC 803(8)); Copeland was convicted; the Court of Appeals affirmed.
- The Oregon Supreme Court reviewed whether (1) Article I, §11 required the declarant’s production or unavailability showing, and (2) the certificate was "testimonial" under the Sixth Amendment.
Issues
| Issue | State's Argument | Copeland's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether Article I, §11 bars admission of an official record (certificate of service) absent a showing that the declarant is unavailable | Certificate is an official record reflecting ministerial duties (service proof) and falls within historical/common-law exception to confrontation | Admission violated Article I, §11 because certificate proved an essential element (notice) and state did not show declarant unavailable | Held: Article I, §11 not implicated — certificate was an official record confined to an administrative duty and did not contain investigative/opinion evidence, so no unavailability showing required |
| Whether the deputy’s certificate is "testimonial" under the Sixth Amendment (Crawford line) | Certificate was created for administrative purposes (statutory duty to prove service/entry into databases) and thus not testimonial | Certificate was used to prove an element of a criminal charge and so is testimonial unless declarant appears or is shown unavailable | Held: Not testimonial — primary purpose was administrative (notice/record-keeping/abuse prevention), not to create evidence for prosecution; admission did not violate the Sixth Amendment |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Campbell, 299 Or. 633 (explained Oregon’s adoption of unavailability and indicia-of-reliability rule under Article I, §11)
- State v. Birchfield, 342 Or. 624 (held laboratory report containing investigative facts invoked Article I, §11 and required witness or unavailability showing)
- State v. Moore, 334 Or. 328 (reaffirmed Campbell’s unavailability requirement under Article I, §11)
- Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (established testimonial test for Sixth Amendment confrontation clause)
- Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, 557 U.S. 305 (forensic certificates held testimonial when prepared for prosecutorial use)
- Bullcoming v. New Mexico, 564 U.S. 647 (laboratory report with formalities is testimonial)
- Williams v. Illinois, 567 U.S. 50 (plurality emphasized objective primary-purpose inquiry for testimonial classification)
