Is a defendant entitled to a fair trial but not a perfect one?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Siegel, D068013 (Cal. App. 2017):

"'[A] series of trial errors, though independently harmless, may in some circumstances rise by accretion to the level of reversible and prejudicial error.'" (People v. Cunningham (2001) 25 Cal.4th 926, 1009.) A defendant is "entitled to a fair trial but not a perfect one." (Ibid.)

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