State v. Bermudez

Summary

The court affirmed the defendant’s felony-murder conviction, holding that the trial court properly admitted evidence of gang affiliations and the relocation of the state’s chief witness because the evidence was relevant to her fear, delayed disclosure, and credibility. The court also held that excluding sexually explicit letters did not violate the defendant’s constitutional rights because their probative value was minimal and outweighed by prejudice, and that limits on questioning about the witness’s employment termination and birth-control practices were proper and, in any event, harmless. The court concluded that the challenged evidentiary rulings did not deprive the defendant of a fair opportunity to impeach the witness or present a defense.