What is the test for excluding third party evidence in a sexual assault case?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Palmer, C082573 (Cal. App. 2018):

Finally, defendant claims the court violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process and his Sixth Amendment rights to a jury trial, to confront witnesses, and to present a defense by excluding his proposed third-party culpability evidence. The federal Constitution gives trial court judges the discretion to exclude evidence if its probative value is outweighed by its prejudicial effect. (Holmes v. South Carolina (2006) 547 U.S. 319, 326 [164 L.Ed.2d 503, 510] ["well-established rules of evidence permit trial judges to exclude evidence if its probative value is outweighed by certain other factors such as unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or potential to mislead the jury"].) Exercise of

Page 11

discretion only violates due process if a judge's error makes the trial fundamentally unfair. (People v. Partida (2005) 37 Cal.4th 428, 439.) As discussed above, we conclude the trial court did not err in balancing the evidence, so there is no due process violation.

Other Questions


Is there any reason to exclude evidence of sexual assault prior to the trial of defendant in his sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for admissibility of evidence of prior sexual assault in a sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
For the purposes of section 1108.2(1) of the California Criminal Code, is there any constitutional error in a trial court's decision to instruct the jury in a sexual assault case to consider the use of sexual assault evidence admitted under Section 1108? (California, United States of America)
How have courts interpreted section 352 of the California Evidence Code for excluding prejudicial evidence in a sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
In a sexual assault case, is third party evidence admissible? (California, United States of America)
Does third party evidence raise a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of a defendant in a sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
Can evidence of the commission of another sexual offence be excluded in a sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
Is there any case law where evidence of domestic violence, sexual abuse, or sexual assault was not excluded from a jury trial? (California, United States of America)
What is the test for admitting prior sexual assault evidence in a sexual assault case? (California, United States of America)
When testifying in a sexual assault case, does the use of the word "sex" by the victims constitute sufficient evidence for the purposes of sexual arousal or sexual gratification? (California, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.