Opinion ID: 3033162
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Domestic Violence Violation.

Text: [6] Because the nonhearsay evidence introduced at the evidentiary hearing alone was sufficient to sustain the domestic UNITED STATES v. HALL 10633 violence allegation, the hearsay evidence could not have significantly affected the court’s ultimate finding. Cf. United States v. Martin, 984 F.2d 308, 311 (9th Cir. 1993) (finding a due process violation because the contested evidence was “uniquely important to the court’s finding” and the district court “exclusively relied” on it in determining guilt). To convict Hall of inflicting corporal injury on his girlfriend, the court need only have found that Hall willfully inflicted “corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition” on someone with whom he was cohabitating. See Cal. Penal Code § 273.5(a). Bruising is a “traumatic condition” for purposes of the statute. People v. Beasley, 105 Cal. App. 4th 1078, 1085 (2003) (finding bruising sufficient to sustain conviction under Section 273.5). [7] The nonhearsay evidence at the hearing was substantial and sufficient to conclusively prove the domestic violence charge. Red testified that he was in Hall’s apartment that evening and saw Hall hit Hawkins. Hall admitted to Officer Bergland that he was living with Hawkins and that he had hit her that evening. These facts, combined with the photographs taken by Officer Tagaban revealing Hawkins’ bruises shortly after the incident were sufficient to sustain the domestic violence violation.5 [8] In addition, several pieces of evidence supporting the domestic violence allegation are admissible under hearsay exceptions. Although the Federal Rules of Evidence do not strictly apply to revocation hearings, see United States v. Walker, 117 F.3d 417, 421 (9th Cir. 1997), long-standing exceptions to the hearsay rule that meet the more demanding requirements for criminal prosecutions should satisfy the 5 Thus, given that the domestic violence allegation was proven by nonhearsay evidence, even if the hearsay evidence should not have been admitted, any error was harmless as to this allegation. See Comito, 177 F.3d at 1170 (improper admission of hearsay testimony is subject to harmless error review). 10634 UNITED STATES v. HALL lesser standard of due process accorded the respondent in a revocation proceeding. See Morrissey, 408 U.S. at 489 (“[T]he process [in revocation hearings] should be flexible enough to consider evidence . . . that would not be admissible in an adversary criminal trial.”). The medical records from Hawkins’ hospital visit and the notes of Hall’s parole officer were records kept in the ordinary course of business, classic exceptions to the hearsay rule. Fed. R. Evid. 803(6). Hawkins’ statements to Dr. Grover, including that her live-in boyfriend had caused her injuries, were statements made for the purpose of medical diagnosis or treatment, and also hearsay exceptions. See Fed. R. Evid. 803(4) (describing as exceptions to the hearsay rule all “[s]tatements made for purposes of medical diagnosis or treatment . . . or the inception or general character of the cause or external source thereof insofar as reasonably pertinent to diagnosis or treatment”). [9] Hall’s interest in excluding hearsay evidence relevant to the domestic violence allegation was thus weak, especially when weighed against the government’s good cause for not producing Hawkins. See infra at 10637. Cf. Comito, 177 F.3d at 1171 (noting that the hearsay evidence was the only evidence provided for the contested element of the violation and therefore the releasee had “a very strong interest in demonstrating that the hearsay testimony did not reflect ‘verified fact’ ”).