State v. Hart
Doyle Hart was convicted of aggravated rape and incest. His stepdaughter, B.J., later recanted her trial testimony, leading Hart to file a petition for writ of error coram nobis for a new trial based on this newly discovered evidence. The trial court denied the petition, citing B.J.'s reassertion of her original testimony while in a mental health facility and the results of an unfavorable polygraph examination taken by Hart. The Court of Criminal Appeals reversed and remanded the case for a new evidentiary hearing. The appellate court found that the trial court improperly considered evidence outside the record, specifically B.J.'s post-hearing statements and the polygraph results, violating principles of judicial procedure and evidence.