California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Evans, E070871 (Cal. App. 2020):
"We review for an abuse of discretion the trial court's rulings on the admissibility of evidence." (People v. McCurdy (2014) 59 Cal.4th 1063, 1095.) "[G]enerally, violations of state evidentiary rules do not rise to the level of federal constitutional error." (People v. Benavides (2005) 35 Cal.4th 69, 91.) As such, even when there is error, "a defendant must demonstrate that it is 'reasonably probable that a result more favorable to [the defendant] would have been reached in the absence of the error.'" (People v. Sivongxxay (2017) 3 Cal.5th 151, 178, citing People v. Watson (1956) 46 Cal.2d 818, 836.)
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.