State v. Josephine L. Medina

Syllabus

The defendant, Josephine Medina, appealed from a judgment of conviction for domestic felony assault in violation of G.L. 1956 §§ 11-5-2 and 12-29-5. The defendant argued that the trial justice erred when she granted two of the state's motions in limine, which precluded evidence that the complaining witness had previously been arrested for gun-related crimes and three videos showing that the complaining witness engaged in specific acts of aggression. The Supreme Court held that the trial justice did not abuse her discretion when she determined that reference to the gun charges was inadmissible because the charges were ultimately dismissed, and no gun was at issue in the case. Next, the Supreme Court held that the trial justice did not abuse her discretion when she found that one video was remote in time and that all three videos were cumulative, would inflame the passion of the jurors, and would cause confusion among the jurors as to what the ultimate issue was in the case. Accordingly, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Superior Court.