California Court of Appeal

In defendant's appeal from a jury verdict adjudicating him a sexually violent predator (SVP) under the Sexually Violent Predators Act (SVPA), Welf. & Inst. Code section 6600 et seq., and ordering his indeterminate commitment to Coalinga State Hospital, the trial court's judgment is reversed where: 1) the People's experts relied on inadmissible hearsay to support extensive testimony about defendant's unrelated convictions and unproven allegations that he committed other acts of sexual violence; and 2) this inflammatory documentary and testimonial hearsay was prejudicial even under People v. Watson (1956) 46 Cal.2d 818, 836.

Appellate Information

• Published 2016/12/05

Judges

• COLLINS

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel