Bryan Sydney Mensah v. State of Florida
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
Date FiledAugust 28, 2026
Docket6D2023-3105
StatusPublished
📰 News Coverage: Read the LAWS.com news report on this case
Full Opinion
SIXTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
STATE OF FLORIDA
_____________________________
Case No. 6D2023-3105
Lower Tribunal No. 2016-CF-003513
_____________________________
BRYAN SYDNEY MENSAH,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
_____________________________
Appeal pursuant to Fla. R. App. P. 9.141(b)(2) from the Circuit Court for Osceola County.
Tanya Davis Wilson, Judge.
August 28, 2026
GANNAM, J.
Bryan Mensah appeals the summary denial of his motion for postconviction
relief under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. We affirm as to ground 1, but
reverse and remand for an evidentiary hearing as to ground 2. Mensah’s ground 2
claims a Giglio 1 violation, alleging the State allowed a key witness against Mensah
to testify falsely. Specifically, Mensah alleged his trial counsel told him the State
1
Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972).
promised the witness a lenient plea deal in return for his testimony against Mensah,
and further alleged the State knowingly elicited false testimony from the witness that
he was not promised anything by the State in return for his testimony. While it’s true
Mensah’s motion did not include or point to any evidence of the truth of these
allegations, the portions of the record the postconviction court attached to its order
denying the motion do not conclusively refute them. Thus, the record does not
“show[] conclusively that the appellant is entitled to no relief,” and we “must . . .
reverse[] and . . . remand[] for an evidentiary hearing or other appropriate relief.”
Fla. R. App. P. 9.141(b)(2)(D).
Accordingly, as to the alleged Giglio violation in ground 2, we reverse the
order denying Mensah’s rule 3.850 motion and remand for the trial court to either
enter a new order of denial attaching record materials conclusively refuting
Mensah’s allegations, conduct an evidentiary hearing on the motion, or conduct
other proceedings consistent with this opinion. 2
AFFIRMED in part; REVERSED in part; REMANDED with instructions.
TRAVER, C.J., and BROWNLEE, J., concur.
2
Because it is not before us, and given our limited record, we make no
determination as to whether ground 2 was sufficiently pled. On remand, prior to
conducting any evidentiary hearing, the postconviction court is free to reconsider the
legal sufficiency of ground 2 in Mensah’s amended motion.
2
Matthew R. McLain, of McLain Law, P.A., Longwood, for Appellant.
James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Kristen L. Davenport, Assistant
Attorney General, Daytona Beach, for Appellee.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE MOTION FOR REHEARING
AND DISPOSITION THEREOF IF TIMELY FILED
3