331 P.3d 1095
Or. Ct. App.2014Background
- Defendant Durando appealed his conviction for unlawful possession of marijuana; this court reversed that conviction but otherwise affirmed the trial court.
- At trial the state moved to exclude a defendant exhibit (a website printout) for lack of adequate authentication; the trial court granted the motion.
- On appeal Durando argued he had authenticated the printout by "inviting the trial court to view the website and verify that the printout accurately represented the information contained therein."
- In the original appellate opinion the court rejected that argument as unpreserved and used language suggesting a stricter preservation standard (questioning whether every reasonable judge would have understood Durando's request).
- Durando petitioned for reconsideration, arguing the court applied an overly severe preservation standard instead of the ordinary preservation inquiry from Peeples v. Lampert.
- The court granted reconsideration, concluded its prior wording misstated the preservation standard, modified three sentences of the original opinion to accurately reflect preservation analysis, but reached the same outcome: Durando's website-invitation argument was not preserved.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether Durando preserved the contention that the trial court should visit the website to authenticate a printout | (State) The court need not address an unpreserved claim; the record shows no clear request to visit the website | Durando: he sufficiently authenticated the printout by inviting the trial court to view the website itself | Not preserved: defendant did not clearly ask the court to visit the website or otherwise give opponent and court enough notice to respond |
| What preservation standard applies on appeal | (State) Use ordinary preservation test (did appellant give trial court chance to consider/rule) | Durando argued the court applied an overly severe standard in original opinion | Court reaffirmed ordinary preservation standard (Peeples) but found same result under it |
| Whether the appellate opinion's language required modification | (State) Original phrasing misstated the standard and should be corrected | Durando requested reconsideration and correction of wording | Court modified three sentences in prior opinion to reflect proper preservation analysis while adhering to the original judgment |
Key Cases Cited
- Peeples v. Lampert, 345 Or. 209 (2008) (articulates ordinary preservation standard: give trial court chance to consider and rule)
- State v. Walker, 350 Or. 540 (2011) (preservation requires fair notice to opponent and trial court)
- State v. Durando, 262 Or. App. 299 (2014) (original appellate opinion modified on reconsideration; addresses authentication and preservation)
