Opinion ID: 1561466
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Standard of Review for Newly Discovered Evidence

Text: To obtain a new trial based on newly discovered evidence, a defendant must establish two things: First, the defendant must establish that the evidence was not known by the trial court, the party, or counsel at the time of trial and that the defendant or defense counsel could not have known of it by the use of diligence. Second, the newly discovered evidence must be of such nature that it would probably produce an acquittal on retrial. See Jones v. State, 709 So.2d 512, 521 (Fla.1998). Newly discovered evidence satisfies the second prong of this test if it `weakens the case against [the defendant] so as to give rise to a reasonable doubt as to his culpability.' Heath v. State, 3 So.3d 1017, 1023-24 (Fla.2009) (quoting Jones, 709 So.2d at 526). In determining whether newly discovered evidence requires a new trial, the trial court must `consider all newly discovered evidence which would be admissible,' and must `evaluate the weight of both the newly discovered evidence and the evidence which was introduced at the trial.' Heath, 3 So.3d at 1025 (quoting Jones v. State, 591 So.2d 911, 916 (Fla. 1991)). This determination includes consideration of evidence that goes to the merits of the case as well as impeachment evidence. The trial court should also determine whether this evidence is cumulative to other evidence in the case, whether the evidence is material and relevant, and whether there are any inconsistencies in the newly discovered evidence. Jones, 709 So.2d at 521. [A]bsent an abuse of discretion, a trial court's decision on a motion based on newly discovered evidence [including a witness's newly recanted testimony] will not be overturned on appeal. Lowe, 2 So.3d at 39 (brackets in original) (quoting Mills v. State, 786 So.2d 547, 549 (Fla.2001)). In reviewing the circuit court's decision as to a newly discovered evidence claim following an evidentiary hearing, where the court's findings are supported by competent, substantial evidence, we will not substitute our judgment for that of the trial court on questions of fact, credibility of the witnesses, or the weight to be given to the evidence by the trial court. Jones, 709 So.2d at 532.
Anthony Williams testified at the evidentiary hearing that he committed perjury at Hurst's trial when he told the jury that Hurst confessed. However, as the postconviction court found and this Court has noted, recanted testimony is `exceedingly unreliable,' and if a trial court is not satisfied that the recanted testimony is true, it has a duty to deny the defendant a new trial. Heath, 3 So.3d at 1024 (quoting Consalvo v. State, 937 So.2d 555, 561 (Fla.2006)). The postconviction court found that Hurst did not satisfy the first prong of the newly discovered evidence test because it concluded Williams' evidentiary hearing testimony was not credible. As to the second prong, the postconviction court further found that, even if Williams' evidentiary hearing testimony was presented to the jury, it would not have changed the outcome of Hurst's trial. We agree with these findings. In the instant case, the trial court simply did not believe Williams, who was a cellmate with Hurst in the Escambia County jail. Williams testified that he thought by testifying against Hurst at trial, he would receive some favorable sentencing treatment in his own pending case. As it turned out, Williams received a life sentence. Even if the jury never heard Anthony Williams' testimony that Hurst confessed, or if it heard Anthony Williams' recantation of that testimony, other evidence in the case must be considered when determining if a new trial is required. Other evidence included the fact that Smith testified that Hurst confessed to the murder and gave him a container with the money from the robbery. The bag containing the stolen money also contained a Popeye's bank deposit slip with Hurst's fingerprints. Hurst's supervisor testified that Hurst would have had no occasion to place his fingerprint on the deposit slips. Hess identified Hurst as the man he saw entering Popeye's that morning. In addition, Michael Williams (as distinguished from Anthony Williams) testified at trial that he had known Hurst for a long time and that Hurst told him about the murder. [5] He testified that Hurst said he had gotten into an argument with a woman and hit her, cut her with a box cutter, and put her in the freezer because he didn't want the woman to see his face. Michael Williams also testified that he had heard Hurst and Smith talking about robbing Popeye's on several occasions. Hurst bought new tennis shoes on the morning of the murder and other tennis shoes consistent with Hurst's large size were found in the trash at Smith's house bearing indications of blood. Finally, tape similar to that which bound Cynthia Harrison was found in Hurst's trunk. In consider[ing] all newly discovered evidence which would be admissible and evaluat[ing] the `weight of both the newly discovered evidence and the evidence which was introduced at the trial,' Jones, 709 So.2d at 521 (quoting Jones, 591 So.2d at 916), we conclude that the case against Hurst would not have been weakened to such an extent that he probably would have been acquitted, even if the jury heard the recantation of Anthony Williams' testimony. As to the claim of newly discovered evidence concerning Lee-Lee Smith, Hurst contends that the fact that Smith was charged and convicted after Hurst's trial as an accessory after the fact in connection with the Popeye's crimes is newly discovered evidence that probably would have resulted in either an acquittal or a life sentence. [6] Smith's trial testimony gave a detailed account of Hurst's confession to the murder and production of the stolen money. The jury heard how Smith, age fifteen at the time, assisted Hurst in hiding the money, washing Hurst's bloody pants, and throwing away Hurst's bloody shoes and sock. Hurst contends that if the jury had known Smith was a codefendant in the case and was guilty of being an accessory after the fact, it would have impeached his credibility and would have dispelled the State's suggestion that Smith was just a dupe of Hurst. The postconviction court denied relief on this claim, concluding that Hurst had not demonstrated the result of the trial would probably have been different. The court noted that had the jury known that Smith was a codefendant in the case and was guilty as an accessory after the fact, it is likely the jury would have given Smith's trial testimony even more credibility. In fact, Smith's testimony clearly apprised the jury of the very same actions which underlay his later conviction as accessory, so the jury already had that information when assessing his credibility. Moreover, other evidence in the case tied Hurst directly to the murder and robbery and would not have been rebutted or diminished in any way by the jury learning that Smith was guilty of being an accessory after the fact. Because the new evidence would probably not produce an acquittal on retrial, the postconviction order denying the newly discovered evidence claim relating to Smith is affirmed.
Carl Hess was the only eyewitness directly placing Hurst at the scene of the crime. Hess testified at trial, on direct examination, that he worked at the Wendy's restaurant near Popeye's and was cleaning up the parking lot on the morning of the murder when he saw Cynthia Harrison arrive for work. He testified that he later saw a large black man wearing a Popeye's uniform arrive at Popeye's and bang on the window and door, and was let into the restaurant. Hess identified Hurst in court, and had previously picked him out of a photo lineup, as the man he saw that morning. Hess said he knew Hurst from having seen him coming and going at Popeye's and because Hurst had filled an application out at the Wendy's. It was not until cross-examination that Hess testified that he had interviewed Hurst. However, Hess also admitted on cross-examination that he was not an assistant manager as he had stated, having failed out of the assistant manager program, and further admitted that he did not have authority to interview applicants. His supervisor, Sun Nguyen, testified at trial that Hess did not interview job applicants or make hiring decisions. At the evidentiary hearing, Hess admitted that he lied at trial when he testified that he had interviewed Hurst and several other unsuccessful applicants for employment at Wendy's. The postconviction court denied the claim, concluding that the fact that Hess never interviewed Hurst was not newly discovered because his cross-examination at trial and the testimony of his supervisor, Sun Nguyen, made clear to the jury that Hess could not have interviewed Hurst. However, Hess never admitted his lie to the jury and Hurst now argues that the admission is, therefore, newly discovered. He further contends that [h]ad the jury known that Mr. Hess had no basis upon which to recognize and thus identify Mr. Hurst from the photo array, it would have rejected his testimony completely. Assuming that the admission of Hess's misrepresentation is newly discovered evidence, we conclude that the evidence would not probably produce an acquittal on retrial. First, Hess's admission that he lied about interviewing Hurst does not establish that Hess had no other basis on which to identify Hurst that morning. Hess worked at Wendy's and spent substantial time working in the parking lot. He testified that he saw Hurst from time to time coming and going at Popeye's. Second, even when provided with substantial impeaching evidence concerning Hess's testimony, the jury still found Hurst guilty. Thus, we conclude that Hess's admission, even if newly discovered, does not meet the second prong of Jones because it does not weaken the case against Hurst such that it would probably produce an acquittal on retrial. See Jones, 709 So.2d at 521, 526. Moreover, ample other evidence and testimony established Hurst's guiltdiscarded shoes and a sock bearing the victim's blood; money concealed by Smith at Hurst's request; a Popeye's deposit slip with Hurst's fingerprints; Hurst's purchase of new tennis shoes at Wal-Mart the morning of the murder; Hurst's confession to Michael Williams; and Hurst's confession to Lee-Lee Smith. Because Hurst has not established that evidence of Carl Hess's misrepresentation about interviewing Hurst would probably produce an acquittal on retrial, we deny relief on this claim.
The postconviction court held an evidentiary hearing on Hurst's claim that in two instances trial counsel was ineffective, and Hurst appeals the denial of relief on those claims. He first contends that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to properly investigate and present evidence, based on information in police reports, that an individual named Andrew Salter was in the vicinity of the Popeye's parking lot on the morning of the murder, between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m., and did not see Hurst in the area. Second, Hurst contends that counsel was ineffective in failing to rebut the prosecutor's implication that Hurst did not tell the police that he went to Wal-Mart the morning of the murder. For the reasons set forth below, we agree with the postconviction court that relief is not warranted on these claims.