Minnesota Man Wins New Trial In Sex Abuse Case
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Court of Appeals has ordered a new trial for a Minnesota man who had been convicted of sexual abuse of a girl in Knoxville in 2012.
The court says testimony by the child's psychologist should not have been allowed at Patrick Dudley's trial because it went beyond offering general expert testimony. The court says the psychologist's testimony that changes in the girl's behavior were consistent with sexual abuse crossed over into offering an opinion that bolstered the girl's credibility to the jury.
Courts have held that opinions about the truthfulness of witnesses in sex abuse cases should be excluded because that is a matter for jurors to decide.
The court ordered a new trial for the 63-year-old Dudley, who has been serving a 25-year prison sentence.
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