State v. Bermudez

Summary

The court affirmed the defendant's felony-murder conviction, holding that the trial court acted within its discretion in admitting evidence of gang affiliations and the relocation of the state's principal witness because both were relevant to explaining her prolonged fear and delay in reporting the crime. The court also upheld exclusion of the witness's sexually explicit letters because their specific contents had little probative value and their prejudicial effect outweighed that value. The court further held that limiting inquiry into the witness's employment termination and birth-control practices did not violate confrontation rights and, even if erroneous, was harmless.