No. 18-1043

Adam Clayton Zilm v. Oklahoma

Lower Court: Oklahoma
Docketed: 2019-02-08
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response RequestedRelisted (2)
Tags: burden-of-proof coerced-testimony criminal-procedure due-process false-testimony napue-standard napue-v-illinois recantation reliability-hearing witness-coercion
Key Terms:
DueProcess
Latest Conference: 2019-10-01 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Conviction of child sex abuse challenged on due process grounds for use of coerced testimony at trial

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED FOR REVIEW Petitioner was convicted of child sex abuse. However, the minor complaining witness recanted the allegation, more than once under oath and without prompting, and the state district court found as a matter of fact that state actors had coerced her pretrial testimony at the preliminary examination. The State nevertheless used this coerced testimony at trial against Zilm. On appeal, Zilm argued that the State violated his Due Process rights by using false testimony to convict him under Napue v. Illinois, 360 U.S. 264 (1959). The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rejected this claim on the basis that Zilm had not shown that the testimony was “false.” Zilm petitioned that court for rehearing, asking if he was required to show falsity by a preponderance, clear and convincing, beyond a reasonable doubt, or some other legal standard. The lower appellate court declined to answer this legal question. The questions presented is: 1. What is the burden of proof for the accused to show an error under Napue? 2. Did Zilm meet this burden?

Docket Entries

2019-12-09
Record returned to the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma (1 box).
2019-10-07
Petition DENIED.
2019-06-19
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/1/2019.
2019-06-03
Brief of respondent Oklahoma in opposition filed.
2019-05-03
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including June 3, 2019.
2019-04-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response from May 2, 2019 to June 1, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2019-04-09
Record received from the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma (1 box).
2019-04-02
Response Requested. (Due May 2, 2019)
2019-04-02
Record Requested.
2019-04-02
Record received from the Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma. The record is electronic.
2019-03-27
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/12/2019.
2019-02-05
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 11, 2019)

Attorneys

Adam Clayton Zilm
James L. Hankins — Petitioner
Oklahoma
Caroline Elizabeth Jane HuntOklahoma Attorney General's Office, Respondent