State of Maine v. Jesse R. Pelletier

Summary

The court affirmed Pelletier’s convictions for gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact after concluding that a friend’s testimony about statements she heard the victim make was properly admitted. The statements were not hearsay because they were offered to show that the victim communicated her lack of willingness to engage in sexual conduct and to establish Pelletier’s state of mind, not to prove the truth of an asserted fact. The court also held that the friend had personal knowledge of what she heard and that the testimony was relevant and not unfairly prejudicial.