People v. Skiles

Opinion

CHIN, J.—Are

faxed copies of certified court records admissible to establish that a prior conviction qualifies as a serious or violent felony under the “Three Strikes” law?

In this case, the prosecutor presented certified copies of court records from the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, Alabama to prove that defendant had suffered an out-of-state prior serious felony conviction. During the court trial on the prior conviction, it was determined that the proffered certified copies were incomplete and provided insufficient proof. The prosecutor sought to obtain more evidence over the…