Court Opinion

ID: 9448958
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 23:50:59.54808+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:31:37.647862
License: Public Domain

FAHY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I think the court should have permitted the authenticity of the statement *134referred to as the Artis recantation to be determined, as the defense was willing to have done. If authenticity were established, I think the court should have admitted the statement with opportunity given for development of the circumstances of its making, as they related to the question of its weight. The defense several times sought to have the court admit the statement in evidence, if Artis’ testimony at the first trial was admitted, as occurred over defense objection. The court several times stated he would not admit the Artis statement, even if signed by Artis, giving as the reason for refusing to do so the fact that the body of the statement was not in Artis’ handwriting. It is of course of no significance that the statement was not marked for identification. There was and is no question as to its identity.
I do not consider that Mattox v. United ed States, 156 U.S. 237, 15 S.Ct. 337, 39 L.Ed. 409, requires exclusion of the Artis statement. Though that decision poses a close problem for us in this case, there is the difference, assuming its authenticity, that the Artis statement was actually signed by Artis. Moreover, it was a complete recantation and of special significance, if authentic, because of the pervading claim that perjury underlay the case against appellant.