Massey v. Commonwealth
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Summary

A VA court held admitting victim’s testimony was proper and no Brady violation occurred, noting unobjected expert testimony that post-traumatic stress can fragment memory, causing delayed or incomplete recall of sexual assault events.

2016 | State Juristiction

Massey v. Commonwealth

Keywords VA court; victim testimony; Brady violation; expert testimony; post-traumatic stress; fragmented memory; delayed recall; incomplete recall; sexual assault; memory recall
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Summary

A Virginia court determined that a victim's testimony was properly admitted. The court also found that there was no violation of Brady disclosure rules. This decision considered expert testimony, which was not challenged, stating that post-traumatic stress can lead to fragmented memories, resulting in delayed or incomplete recollections of sexual assault incidents.

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Summary

A court in Virginia determined that the victim's testimony was admissible. The court found no violation of Brady, specifically noting that expert testimony, which was not objected to, indicated that post-traumatic stress can lead to fragmented memories, resulting in delayed or incomplete recollection of sexual assault incidents.

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Summary

A Virginia court decided that a victim's testimony was correctly allowed. The court also found that no Brady violation happened. This was because an expert testified, without objection, that post-traumatic stress can break up memories. This can lead to someone remembering parts of a sexual assault later or not fully recalling what happened.

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Summary

A court in Virginia decided that it was okay to use what a victim said in court. The court also said that the rules about sharing information with the defense were not broken. An expert witness, whose testimony was not argued against, said that very stressful events can break up memories. This can make someone remember parts of a sexual assault much later or not remember everything at once.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

Massey v. Commonwealth, 67 Va.App. 108 (2016)

Highlights