California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Jones, E073288 (Cal. App. 2020):
"A criminal defendant has the right, guaranteed by the confrontation clauses of both the federal and state Constitutions, to confront the prosecution's witnesses." (People v. Herrera (2010) 49 Cal.4th 613, 620.) " 'Traditionally, there has been "an exception to the confrontation requirement where a witness is unavailable and has given testimony at previous judicial proceedings against the same defendant [and] which was subject to cross-examination . . . ." ' " (Id. at p. 621) This exception is codified in Evidence Code section 1291, which provides that a witness's former testimony, such as preliminary hearing testimony, is admissible where the declarant is unavailable as a witness; the party against whom the former testimony is offered was a party to the prior action or proceeding involving the former testimony; and the party had the right and
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