Kaiser vs. State
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The Supreme Court of Minnesota reviewed a case in which Robert John Kaiser had been convicted of second-degree felony murder for the death of his infant son. Kaiser sought postconviction relief, arguing that two expert witnesses for the State had presented false evidence at his trial. The district court granted a new trial, determining that the expert testimony at issue was indeed false and that the jury might have reached a different conclusion without it. The State appealed this decision, arguing that the district court abused its discretion in ordering a new trial.
The Supreme Court of Minnesota upheld the lower court's decision, stating that the district court had not abused its discretion. It held that the Larrison test, which is used to determine the legitimacy of claims of witness recantation or false trial testimony, was the appropriate legal standard for this case. The court found that the expert testimony presented at Kaiser's trial was factual and false, thus meeting the requirements of the Larrison test. The court further found that the jury might have returned a different verdict without the false testimony. Therefore, the Supreme Court of Minnesota affirmed the decision of the lower courts to grant Kaiser a new trial.
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