Supreme Court of Connecticut
State v. McFarland
September 2, 2025353 Conn. 169
Summary
The court affirmed the defendant’s convictions for two murders, rejecting his claims that the thirty-two-year prearrest delay violated federal or state due process. It upheld the trial court’s refusal to order another competency evaluation and its exclusion of a deceased witness’s police-recorded statements under the residual hearsay exception. The court concluded that the delay was not undertaken for an improper tactical purpose, that no substantial change raised a reasonable doubt about competency, and that the statements lacked sufficient reliability and trustworthiness.