Legal Definitions - writ of coram nobis

A writ of coram nobis is an extraordinary legal request made to a court to correct its own past judgment due to a fundamental error that occurred because of facts that were unknown to the court at the time the judgment was made. It is used in very specific and rare circumstances when no other legal remedy is available to address a serious injustice.

Essentially, it asks the court to reconsider its decision based on crucial information that existed but was outside the official court record and completely unknown to the judge when the original ruling was issued. If these previously unknown facts had been presented, they would have likely changed the outcome of the case.

Here are some examples of situations where a writ of coram nobis might be considered:

• Example 1: Undiscovered Mental Incompetence

  Imagine a person was convicted of a serious crime. Years later, compelling medical evidence emerges, such as detailed psychiatric evaluations from the period leading up to and during their trial, which clearly demonstrate they were suffering from a severe, undiagnosed mental illness that rendered them legally incompetent to understand the proceedings or assist in their own defense. This critical information was entirely unknown to the court, the prosecution, and even their own defense attorney at the time of the trial.

  How this illustrates the term: The court made a judgment without knowing the fundamental fact of the defendant's mental incompetence. If this fact had been known, the trial would have proceeded differently, or not at all, thus representing a fundamental error that could be addressed by a writ of coram nobis.

• Example 2: Irrefutable Evidence of Actual Innocence

  Consider a case where an individual was convicted of a robbery based primarily on eyewitness testimony. Years after their conviction became final, advanced forensic testing, which was not available at the time of the original trial, is applied to a piece of evidence (like a hair or fiber) found at the crime scene. This new testing definitively links a different, known perpetrator to the crime, and that individual later confesses. This crucial evidence was completely unknown and unavailable to the court or the defense during the original proceedings.

  How this illustrates the term: The court rendered a judgment without knowledge of facts (the true perpetrator's identity and confession, supported by new forensic evidence) that would have conclusively proven the convicted person's innocence. This constitutes a fundamental error based on facts outside the original record, making it a potential ground for a writ of coram nobis.

• Example 3: Government Withholding Critical Information

  A defendant was convicted of a drug offense. Years later, it is discovered through a whistleblower that law enforcement agents involved in the case intentionally concealed a confidential informant's detailed report that completely contradicted the testimony of a key prosecution witness and provided a strong alibi for the defendant. This report was never disclosed to the defense or the court during the trial.

  How this illustrates the term: The court made its judgment without knowing about the existence of crucial exculpatory evidence that was deliberately hidden. This unknown fact led to a fundamentally unfair trial, and a writ of coram nobis could be sought to correct the judgment based on this previously undisclosed information.