State v. Padilla

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the superior court convicting Defendant of first-degree robbery following a jury-waived trial. On appeal, Defendant argued that the trial justice misconstrued the complainant’s testimony as to who confronted him and also erred in relying on a witness’s prior witness statements where her inability to read rendered her unable to effectively acknowledge her prior statements. The Supreme Court disagreed, holding (1) the trial justice, in summarizing the complainant’s testimony, accurately recounted it; and (2) because the witness was capable of recognizing her prior statements and could do so through the means the prosecutor used, the trial justice did not misconceive or overlook evidence. View "State v. Padilla" on Justia Law