Redmond v. Kingston

Redmond (defendant), a drug counselor, was convicted of statutory rape based almost entirely on the testimony of Heather, a minor he counseled; eleven months before the alleged incident, Heather had falsely told her mother and police she was forcibly raped by a stranger when she had actually consented, and at trial Redmond sought to introduce this false report to show Heather had a motive and history of falsely accusing people to gain attention. The trial judge excluded the evidence, reasoning it was cumulative, more prejudicial than probative, would confuse the jury, and involved forcible-sex allegations irrelevant to statutory rape; Redmond appealed his conviction, and the case reached the Seventh Circuit through habeas review naming the warden, Kingston, as respondent.