Opinion ID: 1057944
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Testimony of Velda Jefferson

Text: Prieto argues that the circuit court erred in allowing victim impact testimony arising from unadjudicated acts. Unadjudicated acts are admissible in the sentencing phase of a capital trial in Virginia, but only as to the issue of future dangerousness. Stockton v. Commonwealth, 241 Va. 192, 209, 402 S.E.2d 196, 206, cert. denied, 502 U.S. 902 (1991). Victim impact testimony addresses the vileness of a crime and so is only appropriate in the context of the offense for which the defendant is being sentenced. The testimony in dispute is that of Velda Jefferson, the mother of Veronica Jefferson. Veronica was found dead and partially naked in a school yard in 1988 at the age of 28, an 25 apparent victim of rape and murder. In 1999, a DNA profile implicated Prieto. Detectives and forensic officers were brought forward to testify to the actual circumstances of the murder and the discovery of DNA evidence from a vaginal swab of Veronica. In addition, Velda testified briefly: her testimony spanned only about eleven pages of transcript, about half of which encompassed argument between counsel over objections about the scope of the testimony. Prieto's only timely objection relating to victim impact testimony concerned Velda's statements that Veronica was in a committed relationship with her boyfriend. At sidebar, the Commonwealth clarified that the mother's testimony was offered not as victim impact testimony but rather to show that it was unlikely that any sexual contact with Prieto was consensual. It was certainly within the purview of the circuit court to admit this factual testimony. Prieto also assigns error to other aspects of Velda's testimony, such as the last time she spoke to Veronica. There was no contemporaneous objection that this constituted inadmissible victim impact testimony. Accordingly, as discussed in Part B, supra, these assignments of error are defaulted under Rule 5:25.