Opinion ID: 1814310
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Recusal in Postconviction

Text: Williams also contends that the circuit court erred because the trial judge failed to recuse himself in the postconviction proceedings. Williams presented five tenuous grounds for recusal: (1) one of the claims presented in the 3.850 motion was a predisposition or bias of the trial judge to sentence Williams to death; (2) the trial judge was a material witness to the case based on the claim of bias and based on the motion to reconstruct the record and for discovery of the trial judge; (3) the trial judge used virtually identical sentencing orders with regard to Williams and his codefendants, which showed a bias in favor of a death sentence; (4) the trial judge commented at defendant's sentencing that no case warrants death if this doesn't, as were the other cases; and (5) the trial judge made some comments when the codefendants were tried that indicated that he did not believe witness Gwen Robinson, whom Williams had intended to call in his trial. The circuit court denied the motion as legally insufficient. We find no error. Most of Williams' claims essentially involve one allegation: the trial judge previously overrode life recommendations as to Williams' three codefendants. However, as addressed above, we have determined that this allegation standing by itself is insufficient. Accordingly, he is not entitled to relief.