State v. Cook

¶1

Quinn-Brintnall, C.J.

— A jury convicted Kristoffer Cook of one count of third degree assault against his girl friend, Cindy O’Brien. O’Brien initially reported that Cook kicked her hand and broke her finger, but at trial, she testified that her finger was broken in an accident. Cook maintains that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of his prior assaults of O’Brien for purposes of assessing her credibility.

¶2 We hold that evidence of a defendant’s prior abuse against the alleged victim may be admissible, not to prove the defendant’s propensity to commit the charged offense, but to…