Powell v. State

Yulanda E. Powell appeals her conviction for felony child abuse arising from an incident in which she allegedly hit, kicked and choked her teenage son, and threatened or attempted to hit him with a cement weight. We reverse the conviction and remand for a new trial based upon the trial court’s error in denying Powell the opportunity to cross-examine her son regarding the details of his juvenile probation (which Powell contended to be the motive for her son’s fabrication of facts that served as a basis for the charge against her). See Pennsylvania v. Ritchie, 480 U.S. 39, 51-52, 107 S.Ct. 989,…