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Defense challenges Facebook authenticity and witness bias in Cordova appeal
Summary
In Commonwealth v. Cordova, defense counsel Ruth O'Meara Costello argued that the trial court excluded post-allegation incidents and admitted unauthenticated Facebook screenshots, creating a substantial risk of miscarriage of justice given the timing and handling of phone/video evidence.
Ruth O'Meara Costello, representing Miguel Cordova, told the appeals court the most significant errors in the lower court were evidentiary: limits on impeachment about the complaining witness's mother's conduct after the allegation and admission of Facebook screenshots without proper authentication. "My name is Ruth O'Meara Costello. It's my pleasure to represent mister Miguel Cordova in this appeal," she said, and she urged the panel to reverse on either of two grounds: erroneous exclusion of impeachment…
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