Appeals court rejects the claims of trial error
A three-judge panel of California's Second District Court of Appeal upheld the conviction on November 12, 2025.
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The panel, in an opinion by Justice Anne H. Egerton, rejected every claim of error raised by the defence, according to the Associated Press. The arguments concerned several rulings by the trial judge, including a recorded interview with a witness, an Instagram comment and a photograph shown to the jury.
At oral argument in August, defence attorney Crystal Morgan told the judges, “Daystar Peterson is innocent.” The court called the Instagram comment a “minor issue” and found any error harmless. The ruling noted the defence could petition the California Supreme Court, which it later did.