State v. Yusuf
Connecticut Appellate Court
800 A.2d 590, 70 Conn. App. 594 (2002)

- Written by Katrina Sumner, JD
Facts
Asheek Yusuf (defendant) was convicted of assault, kidnapping, cruelty, and other charges regarding his severe physical abuse of Carrissa LeJeune, his significant other. After a severe beating during which he cut LeJeune with a razor and a knife, Yusuf was arrested. At the trial, LeJeune testified about the abuse and prior instances of abuse inflicted by Yusuf. Dr. Evan Stark, a sociologist, gave testimony on battered-woman syndrome and concluded that LeJeune’s behavior was consistent with a victim experiencing the syndrome. Stark’s testimony was presented to aid the jury in understanding how LeJeune’s behavior aligned with that of a battered woman. Stark’s testimony was all the more important given the extensive focus during cross-examination on LeJeune’s failure to leave Yusuf when she had the chance. After the jury trial, Yusuf was convicted. Yusuf appealed, arguing in part that the trial court erred in permitting Stark to provide minimally relevant testimony as an expert regarding battered-woman syndrome because the prosecution did not present evidence that Yusuf’s victim was a battered woman.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Healey, J.)
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