People v. Caldwell

Caldwell’s 1991 second-degree murder conviction was reversed when the trial court granted his habeas corpus petition. Caldwell’s habeas petition alleged various grounds for relief, including an actual innocence claim, but the sole basis for granting the petition was the ineffective assistance of his trial counsel. Caldwell filed an unsuccessful Penal Code section 1485.551 motion for a finding of factual innocence. The court of appeal affirmed after noting that the order is appealable. The court rejected an argument that the trial court implicitly ignored or discounted certain evidence or applied an incorrect burden of proof in deciding the motion. The court noted many contradictions in Caldwell’s own testimony, multiple witnesses against him, and Caldwell’s efforts to intimidate a witness. Caldwell did not prove his innocence by a preponderance of the evidence. View "People v. Caldwell" on Justia Law