New York Court of Appeals

The People of the State of New York v. Lawrence Rensing, and Hugo Krombholz

May 7, 196414 N.Y.2d 210

Summary

The Court of Appeals reversed the murder conviction and ordered a new trial because newly discovered evidence showed that the codefendant-witness, Krombholz, had a longstanding mental illness, raising a genuine issue of his competency to testify. The majority held that such evidence constitutes newly discovered evidence under § 465 and that the trial court erred in refusing a new trial.