State v. Staffier
Annotate this CaseDefendant Raymond Staffier was charged with four counts of second-degree child molestation. The case was submitted to the jury, and a verdict of not guilty was returned on count one with a finding of guilt on the remaining three counts. Defendant filed a pro se appeal, arguing that the trial justice erred (1) by denying his motion for a new trial because the inconsistent verdicts fail to do substantial justice and that this inconsistency cannot logically be explained, and (2) by allowing one of the state's witnesses to testify in contravention of a sequestration order. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that (1) because the trial justice considered the evidence and ultimately found that the verdict was strongly supported by the evidence, the justice's inquiry rightfully ended when she agreed with the jury's verdict; and (2) because any violation of the sequestration order was unintentional, the testimony did not undermine the purpose of the sequestration order, and any potential harm to the defendant was addressed by the trial justice, the trial justice did not abuse her discretion when she allowed the testimony.
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