Oregon v. Thoma

In this criminal case, defendant was charged with murder and felony murder in the strangulation death of Trayci Thomson. At his trial, defendant offered evidence that another man claimed to have killed the victim. The trial Judge excluded the testimony. Defendant was convicted of both charges. He appealed to the Court of Appeals claiming, inter alia, that the trial courts ruling excluding evidence of the other mans admissions violated both defendants right to offer such evidence under the Oregon Evidence Code, OEC 804(3)(c), and his right to due process under the United States Constitution, US Const, Amend XIV. The Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions without opinion. State v. Thoma, 106 Or App 774, 810 P2d 882 (1991). We allowed review to address the important evidentiary and constitutional questions involved, and now affirm.