Opinion ID: 1610324
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Recantation Testimony

Text: Robinson first argued that the newly discovered evidence of codefendant Clinton Fields's recantation establishes that Robinson is not guilty of first-degree murder. The State asserts that this claim is procedurally barred because it was argued by Robinson in his initial rule 3.851 motion. See Robinson v. State, 707 So.2d 688, 690-91 (Fla.1998). When this claim was argued initially, the trial court denied Robinson postconviction relief after Robinson produced an affidavit authored by Fields, in which Fields repudiated his trial testimony. Id. at 691. This Court affirmed the trial court's denial of that claim on the following bases: (1) It is undisputed that Robinson's account of the incident is that he accidentally shot the victim; (2) Fields's recantation in the form of an affidavit amounted to inadmissible hearsay; and (3) no independent corroborating evidence supports Fields's new story. Id. at 690-92. Fields testified at the most recent evidentiary hearing, curing the previous hearsay problem. Nevertheless, we conclude that Robinson has not demonstrated error in the trial court's analysis and rejection of this claim. In considering a claim based upon newly discovered evidence, this Court explained in Jones v. State, 709 So.2d 512, 521 (Fla. 1998): Two requirements must be met in order for a conviction to be set aside on the basis of newly discovered evidence. First, in order to be considered newly discovered, the evidence must have been unknown by the trial court, by the party, or by counsel at the time of trial, and it must appear that defendant or his counsel could not have known [of it] by the use of diligence. Torres-Arboleda v. Dugger, 636 So.2d 1321, 1324-25 (Fla. 1994). Second, the newly discovered evidence must be of such nature that it would probably produce an acquittal on retrial. To reach this conclusion the trial court is required to consider all newly discovered evidence which would be admissible at trial and then evaluate the weight of both the newly discovered evidence and the evidence which was introduced at the trial. Jones v. State, 709 So.2d 512, 521 (Fla. 1998) (citations omitted). Importantly, Robinson has failed to demonstrate error by the trial court on the critical credibility issue that arises with Fields's recantation testimony. The trial court has made a fact-based determination that the recantation is not credible. In light of conflicting evidence we must give deference to that determination. We addressed this concern in our opinion on Robinson's first 3.851 appeal, wherein we stressed that recantation testimony may be unreliable and trial judges must `examine all of the circumstances in the case.' Robinson, 707 So.2d at 691 (quoting State v. Spaziano, 692 So.2d 174, 176 (Fla.1997)). [2] Robinson asserted below that Fields has a diminished mental capacity and that he is susceptible to coercion by law enforcement. We are satisfied that the trial court properly considered Fields's diminished capacity, his hearing testimony, and all of the other relevant circumstances in toto when denying this claim, including the statements and testimony previously given by Fields that conflict with his recantation. At the most recent evidentiary hearing, for example, Fields became easily confused as to the order of events in the case. Notably, Fields testified that at his deposition in this case (which occurred after his own trial and conviction), he was represented by an attorney who was present and who advised him to tell the truth. Thereafter, Fields's deposition testimony implicated Robinson in the intentional shooting death of the victim. Thus, we affirm the trial court's denial of this claim because the trial court properly considered the entire history and context of Fields's testimony including his capacities and credibility when evaluating the credibility of his recantation. See State v. Spaziano, 692 So.2d 174, 178 (Fla.1997) (finding that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion because he conducted a thorough evidentiary hearing, his decisions were supported by the evidence, and because the trial judge is there and has a superior vantage point to see and hear the witnesses presenting the conflicting testimony [while] [t]he cold record on appeal does not give appellate judges that type of perspective). Robinson also argued that the newly discovered evidence of Fields's recantation establishes that the State committed Brady [3] and Giglio [4] violations. Previously, this Court rejected Robinson's same Brady/Giglio claim as being procedurally barred because it should have been raised on direct appeal. Id. Additionally, this Court analyzed the claim on the merits, finding that Robinson could not meet the requirements to support a Brady or Giglio claim. Id. at 693-94 (finding that the evidence was probably not favorable to Robinson under Brady, nor were the facts clear-cut enough to establish a Giglio violation). [5] This Court has already ruled against Robinson regarding whether or not the substance of Fields's post-trial version of events, considered in the context of the entire circumstances of the case, establishes a violation of the precepts of Brady or Giglio. Robinson has failed to present any new law or fact in this new round of postconviction proceedings that warrants a reconsideration of our previous opinion. Further, the trial court's ruling on this claim is consistent with its ruling on the recantation claim. Therefore, we affirm the trial court's denial of this claim.