People v. Leach

In this appeal, we determine whether defendant’s confrontation rights were abridged by the admission of autopsy findings of a forensic pathologist who did not testify at defendant’s trial. Following a bench trial, defendant Curtis Leach was convicted of first degree murder of his wife and sentenced to 28 years’ imprisonment. Defendant appeals, contending that the court erred by: (1) admitting opinion evidence based upon testimonial hearsay contained in the autopsy findings of a retired pathologist in violation of Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 158 L. Ed. 2d 177, 124 S. Ct. 1354 (2004);…