Caffey v. Butler

Dist. Ct. did not err in denying defendant’s habeas petition challenging his murder convictions on ground that Dist. Ct.’s exclusion of his proposed hearsay evidence deprived him of meaningful opportunity to present complete defense. Although defendant argued that said statements that were made by third-parties to police should have been admitted because they supported his claim that others were responsible for instant murders, said statements were properly excluded under hearsay rule since they: (1) either lacked sufficient indicia of reliability or lacked exculpatory significance in terms of negating strong evidence of defendant’s guilt; or (2) were cumulative to other admitted evidence. Ct. also rejected defendant’s ineffective assistance of counsel claims arising out of trial counsel’s failure to introduce into evidence third-party’s statements indicating that she may have played role in said murders, where said statements did not exclude defendant as additional participant in said murders.