Rivera v. Portuondo

Petitioner Daniel Rivera appeals from a judgment entered on August 5, 2003, denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. We assume the parties’ familiarity with the facts in this case, the relevant procedural history, and the issues on appeal.

The Appellate Division rejected Rivera’s' claim that the trial court committed evidentiary error before concluding that, “in light of the overwhelming proof of guilt, any error would have been harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.” People v. Rivera, 255 A.D.2d 608, 681 N.Y.S.2d 75 (2d Dep’t 1998). Whether the trial court…