State v. Cruz-Rojas
State v. Cruz-Rojas
Opinion of the Court
Defendant appeals a judgment convicting him of four counts of first-degree rape, ORS 163.375; four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, ORS 163.427; one count of first-degree sodomy, ORS 163.405; and three counts of fourth-degree assault, ORS 163.160. Defendant assigns error to the trial court’s denial of his pretrial motion to exclude evidence of his physical and sexual abuse of the victim’s older sister, T. In particular, the trial court ruled, based on our decision in State v. Leistiko, 240 Or App 338, 246 P3d 82 (2011), rev’d in part and aff'd in part, 352 Or 172, 282 P3d 857, adh’d to as modified on recons, 352 Or 622, 292 P3d 522 (2012), that the evidence was admissible because it was “relevant to rebut the [d]efendant’s theory that the victim in this case consented to * * * sexual activity with the [d] efendant.”
On appeal, defendant asserts that the evidence was not admissible under OEC 404(3)
Reversed and remanded.
Under OEC 404(3),
“[e]vidence of other crimes, wrongs or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show that the person acted in conformity therewith. It may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident.”
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.