Joseph Eli Bearden, Petitioner v. State of Florida, Respondent

Summary

The court held that the trial court improperly assessed the credibility of an in-court witness offering testimony about a third party's confession, rejected adequate corroboration supplied by the defendant's own statement, and denied the defendant a due-process opportunity to recall and impeach the third-party declarant. Because these errors affected the central defense theory and created a reasonable probability of an altered verdict, the court quashed the district court's decision and remanded for a new trial. Canady, J., concurring in result, would not have addressed the issue concerning recall of the third-party declarant.