Opinion ID: 701269
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Ongoing State Criminal Proceedings

Text: 22 While the en banc poll of this court was proceeding, Petitioners' retrial began in state court. According to a supplemental filing submitted by Petitioners, during the course of the retrial the photographs at issue here were identified by the same Officer Counts, offered into evidence by the defense, and admitted without objection from the State. The prosecuting attorney subsequently raised an objection to the admission on the ground that the photographs were cumulative and confusing. The state trial judge overruled the objection. In a supplemental reply, the State confirmed that the basis for its objection to the evidence was that the photographs were cumulative and confusing. The parties also informed this court that the state trial judge who presided at the first trial and who is a named respondent in this litigation, sua sponte recused himself before the retrial began.