The People of the State of New York, Respondent v. Norcott Corby, Also Known as Corby Norcott, Appellant

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of Norcott Corby, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in precluding cross‑examination of the People’s primary witness about the circumstances that led her to implicate the defendant, and therefore no constitutional Confrontation Clause violation occurred. The Court reasoned that the bias evidence was cumulative and of limited probative value, and that allowing the inquiry would have confused the jury. A dissent argued that the exclusion deprived the defendant of essential evidence and was not harmless. The judgment was affirmed.