Opinion ID: 2357828
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The statement by Mr. Dunbar's friends

Text: A second poster board was an enlarged photograph of Mr. Dunbar as an adult. Superimposed on it was a statement written by two of his friends. According to his sister Christina, the statement was written as a eulogy for Mr. Dunbar's memorial service. [19] At trial, defendant objected to the statement on the ground that its authors were not going to be present in court. The trial court overruled the objection, observing, I'm not sure that's a valid objection. Defendant now contends the trial court erred because the statement was inadmissible hearsay. Alternatively, defendant contends the statement should have been excluded as unduly emotional. This is not a ground he assigned below. [20] Without explaining why, the Attorney General says he disagrees that the statement was inadmissible hearsay. He also claims defendant failed to perfect a hearsay objection below by clearly stating it. Any error in admitting the statement was clearly harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Six members of Mr. Dunbar's family testified to the lasting impact of his murder on them. They were close to him, proud of his achievements, and felt his loss keenly. The prosecutor did not refer to the statement of his friends in her penalty phase argument.