State v. Jones

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of conviction entered by the superior court after a jury verdict finding Defendant guilty of unlawful sexual contact and assault, holding that the superior court did not err in admitting part of a report of a sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE) performed on the adult female victim upon her arrival at Maine General Hospital.On appeal, Defendant challenged the admission of the report, arguing that the admitted portion did not satisfy the requirements of Me. R. Evid. 803(4). Defendant also argued that, even if the report were admissible, it was cumulative or unduly prejudicial and should have been excluded pursuant to Me. R. Evid. 403. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed, holding (1) a SAFE report may be admitted over a hearsay objection if it also meets all other evidentiary rules and complies with the requirements of Me. Rev. Stat. 16, 357; (2) the superior court did not err in determining that the State had satisfied the requirements set forth in section 357; and (3) the court did not err in concluding that the probative value of the report was not outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. View "State v. Jones" on Justia Law