Before he killed his girlfriend, Paul Cortez wrote a series of "hostile" journal entries about the lady and two other women. When the prosecutor tried to introduce that diary into evidence at the criminal trial, Cortez objected to the entries about the other women, because the case wasn't about them.
Notwithstanding those protestations, the New York County Supreme Court allowed the entire journal in, and Cortez was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years-to-life.
Even though some technical errors were made at his trial, and although his attorneys had a few problems of their own--one had been found in contempt of court, while another had an "unrelated criminal case pending"--the Appellate Division, First Department, didn't find those issues to be prejudicial, particularly in view of the "overwhelming evidence of guilt."
Was that duly noted?
To view a copy of the Appellate Division's decision, please use this link: People v. Cortez