In a recent case before a court of appeals in Arizona, the defendant took issue with evidence that the lower court admitted during his trial. Originally, the defendant was charged with aggravated domestic violence. His case went to trial, a jury found him guilty, and the defendant appealed, arguing that one of the police officer’s body camera videos should not have been part of the trial. After reviewing the defendant’s argument, the higher court ultimately disagreed and affirmed the lower court’s ruling.
Facts of the Case
According to the opinion, the defendant was charged after a pedestrian saw him and his partner arguing on the sidewalk. Apparently, the defendant had pulled his partner’s hair, hit her on the head, and snatched her phone from her hand to throw it on the ground. Once police officers arrived to investigate, the defendant’s partner was at their son’s school, where she had been heading when the altercation ensued. She was in the front office, visibly upset.
The State charged the defendant with aggravated domestic violence. During trial, the State introduced evidence of the police officer’s body camera, which showed the defendant’s partner’s demeanor and distress when she was in the school’s front office. The jury found the defendant guilty, and he promptly appealed.