U.S. v. Doyle

In prosecution on drug distribution charge alleging that defendant distributed lethal dose of heroin to victim, Dist. Ct. did not commit plain error in admitting medical examiner’s post mortem report indicating that heroin was sole cause of death even though someone had crossed out cocaine intoxication as contributing cause of death. Defendant’s counsel stated that he had no objection to introduction into evidence all of govt.’s medical documents, and although defendant argued that admission of said report violated Confrontation Clause since defendant had no opportunity to cross examine author of report, defendant failed to show under plain error standard that outcome of trial probably would have been different where other medical evidence established that victim died from heroin overdose.