State v. A.R.C.

The district attorney for the twenty-second judicial circuit filed this petition for a writ of mandamus directing Judge M. Ashley McKathan to set aside his order in the underlying case excluding from evidence the victim’s out-of-court statements. A.R.C. was indicted on a charge of sodomy in the first degree. On April 21, 2003, A.R.C.’s case was called to trial. During trial the district attorney attempted to introduce out-of-court statements made by the victim, who was five years old at the time of trial. The trial court excluded the statements after finding that they were not sufficiently…