Good cause MCR 6.508(D)(3) is one of the most critical hurdles in Michigan post-conviction relief. Learn how courts define good cause, what qualifies as an external barrier, and how to prove it with real evidence.
Newly discovered evidence in a Michigan appeal must do more than add detail or reinforce prior testimony. Michigan courts ask whether the evidence is materially new or merely cumulative, and that distinction often determines whether a motion for a new trial survives. Appeals based on newly discovered evidence fail more often than they succeed when this standard is misunderstood.
