The mission of the Connecticut Judicial Branch is to serve the interests of justice and the public by resolving matters brought before it in a fair, timely, efficient and open manner.

Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinion

by Booth, George

 

AC42080 - State v. Errol J. (Risk of injury to child; cruelty to persons; "The defendant, Errol J., appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered following a jury trial, of two counts of risk of injury to a child in violation of General Statutes § 53-21 (a) (1) and one count of cruelty to persons in violation of General Statutes § 53-20 (b) (1). The defendant challenges several of the trial court's evidentiary rulings and jury instructions and raises claims of prosecutorial impropriety. Specifically, he claims that (1) the court erred by restricting his cross-examination of the state's expert witnesses, which violated his constitutional rights to confrontation and to present a defense, (2) the court erred in admitting into evidence certain medical records and testimony, (3) the prosecutor advanced several improper arguments during her closing arguments, violating the defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial, and (4) the court erred in failing to give the parental justification instruction on one of the counts of risk of injury to a child. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")