People v. Blackston

At issue in this case is whether defendant is entitled to a new trial on the basis of his argument that two unavailable witnesses’ written recantations were improperly excluded from defendant’s second trial. A transcript of the witnesses’ testimony from the first trial was admitted as evidence at the second trial and defendant sought to admit the recanting statements for purposes of impeachment. The Van Burén Circuit Court denied defendant’s motion to introduce the statements. The court also denied defendant’s motion for a new trial, in which defendant argued that the statements were…