Gadlin

I. Procedural History

Defendant Gregory Gadlin was sentenced to 35 years to life in state prison following conviction by jury of attacking his live-in girlfriend with a knife, in violation of Penal Code section 245, subdivision (a)(1). The same jury sustained allegations of two prior felony convictions, charged as both strike priors (Pen. Code, § 667, subds. (b)-(i)) and serious felony priors (Pen. Code, § 667, subd. (a)(1)). Those priors were a 1984 forcible rape (Pen. Code, § 261, former subd. (2)) and a 1986 forcible child molestation (Pen. Code, § 288, subd. (b)). He now challenges four rulings made by the trial court. We affirm.

In the published portion of the opinion, we hold that expert testimony on the effects of domestic battery on a victim (battered women’s syndrome) was properly admitted, even though the victim was not recanting at trial. The syndrome testimony was probative regarding both the victim’s recantation of a prior incident and her decision to resume the relationship with the defendant before the charged incident.

II. Statement of Facts

We summarize the evidence in the light most favorable to the judgment. (Jackson v. Virginia (1979) 443 U.S. 307,…