Johnson v. State
Johnson appealed the summary denial of his rule 3.850 motion, which raised claims of newly discovered evidence (new DNA testing) and a Giglio violation regarding misleading trial testimony about the original DNA results. The Fourth DCA reversed and remanded for an evidentiary hearing on the newly discovered evidence claim, since the new DNA results were akin to a recantation requiring a hearing under Davis v. State, but affirmed denial of the Giglio claim because the misleading nature of the testimony was known to Johnson and counsel at trial and thus was not timely raised.
Key facts
- Johnson was convicted at trial based in part on DNA evidence presented by the state.
- Johnson filed a rule 3.850 postconviction motion raising claims of newly discovered evidence (new DNA test results) and a Giglio violation based on allegedly misleading trial testimony about the original DNA results.
- +2 more key facts with a free trial
Why it matters
This decision reinforces that DNA retesting results functioning as a recantation of trial testimony trigger the Davis v. State evidentiary-hearing requirement rather than summary denial, which is useful for… — full analysis with a trial
🔒 Read the full opinion, holding & search the library
The full opinion PDF, the rules the court applied, our significance analysis, the background facts, and full-text search across every tracked Florida decision are available to members. Start a free 30-day trial — no credit card.
Not ready to sign up? Get the free Friday digest — the week's key Florida decisions by email, no login required.
Florida Court Tracker provides summaries of publicly available court opinions for informational and research purposes only. This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Always verify holdings against the official opinion.