Court Opinion

ID: 9586230
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:08:30.978129+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:25:40.920283
License: Public Domain

ANDERSON, District Judge,
concurring:
¶ 22 I concur in the affirmance of defendant’s conviction. However, I do not agree with the dicta expressing discomfort with according trial judges “great latitude to determine the credibility of recanting witnesses’ testimony.” See supm ¶ 18.
¶23 Trial judges who have heard both versions of the witnesses’ testimony, as well as all other trial testimony, are in an excellent position to evaluate whether the supposed recantation is true. If a supposed recantation is obviously false to the trial judge, I question whether justice is served by evaluating whether a jury is likely to be misled by the false testimony. There are valid arguments on both sides of this issue that ought to be considered if and when a ease is presented where the trial judge finds the recantation false, but it is also evident that the supposed recantation probably would change the verdict.