Case Title: State v. Lykens

Citation: 271 Neb. 240, 710 N.W.2d 844

Docket Number: 

State: nebraska

Court: Nebraska Supreme Court

Date: 2006-03-10T00:00:00Z

Document:
710 N.W.2d 844 (2006) 271 Neb. 240 STATE of Nebraska, appellee v. Ryan E. LYKENS, appellant. No. S-04-844. Supreme Court of Nebraska. March 10, 2006. *846 Avis R. Andrews, Fremont, for appellant. Jon Bruning, Attorney General, and Kimberly A. Klein, Lincoln, for appellee. HENDRY, C.J., WRIGHT, CONNOLLY, GERRARD, STEPHAN, McCORMACK, and MILLER-LERMAN, JJ. MILLER-LERMAN, J. Following a jury trial, Ryan E. Lykens was convicted of robbery and was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 2 to 5 years. The district court for Dodge County denied Lykens' motions for new trial. On appeal, the Nebraska Court of Appeals determined that the trial court had abused its discretion by denying Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial. The Court of Appeals reversed Lykens' conviction and remanded the cause for a new trial. State v. Lykens, 13 Neb.App. 849, 703 N.W.2d 159 (2005). The State petitioned for further review, asserting that the Court of Appeals erred in finding that the prosecution had withheld evidence from Lykens and in applying the wrong standard to determine whether such nondisclosure required a new trial. We granted the State's petition for further review. We reverse, and remand to the Court of Appeals for further proceedings. In its opinion, the Court of Appeals described the facts of this case as follows: State v. Lykens, 13 Neb.App. 849, 851-52, 703 N.W.2d 159, 162-63 (2005). In addition to the evidence against Lykens noted by the Court of Appeals, the record shows that the clerk who was working at the convenience store the night of the robbery identified Lykens as the robber both in a photographic lineup and in court at trial. There was also evidence that following the robbery, Lykens was in possession of cigarette packs that were of the same brand and lot number as a carton found disposed of outside the convenience store shortly after the robbery. The lot number also matched a carton still in stock at the store. Further, there was evidence that Lykens owned a jacket fitting the description of the jacket worn by the robber, that Lykens owned a BB gun, and that Lykens lived within a 5-minute walk of the convenience store. *848 Lykens appealed to the Court of Appeals and assigned that the district court had erred in (1) failing to grant his motion to dismiss based on insufficient evidence at the end of the State's evidence, (2) overruling his motion for mistrial due to a juror's knowledge of and relationship with a potential witness, (3) overruling his motion for new trial based on "newly discovered evidence," and (4) overruling his motions to suppress. The Court of Appeals rejected Lykens' assignment of error relating to the motions to suppress but concluded that the district court had abused its discretion in denying Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial. With respect to Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial, the Court of Appeals noted the following: State v. Lykens, 13 Neb.App. 849, 855-57, 703 N.W.2d 159, 164-66 (2005). In reviewing the denial of Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial, the Court of Appeals first determined that the transcript of the interview with Joseph Brainard (hereinafter Brainard) had been withheld by the State and that it constituted newly discovered evidence because it was evidence material to the defense that could not with reasonable diligence have been discovered and produced in the prior proceedings. The Court of Appeals then concluded that the court should have granted the motion for new trial based on such newly discovered evidence. In reaching its conclusion, the Court of Appeals relied on certain language in State v. Atwater, 245 Neb. 746, 515 N.W.2d 431 (1994), and interpreted Atwater "to mean *850 that in cases when the evidence alleged to be newly discovered was withheld by the State, a defendant is entitled to a new trial if the omitted evidence could have created a reasonable doubt that he or she committed the alleged crime or crimes." Lykens, 13 Neb.App. at 861, 703 N.W.2d at 168. Using this interpretation, the Court of Appeals determined that the interview with Brainard would have allowed Lykens "to provide the jury with an alternate suspect who could have committed the crime in the instant case," and "reasonable doubt could have been created in the minds of the jurors." Id. at 862, 703 N.W.2d at 169. The Court of Appeals therefore concluded that the district court abused its discretion in denying Lykens' motion for new trial based on newly discovered evidence. The Court of Appeals reversed Lykens' conviction and remanded the cause for a new trial. Because of its disposition of the appeal on the basis of the new trial issue, the Court of Appeals did not consider Lykens' assignments of error relating to the motion to dismiss and the motion for mistrial. The State petitioned for further review of the Court of Appeals' decision. We granted the petition. The State asserts on further review that the Court of Appeals erred in determining that the evidence in question had been withheld by the State. The State further argues that even if the evidence had been withheld, the Court of Appeals applied the wrong standard to determine whether the district court erred in denying the motion for new trial based on such evidence. In a criminal case, a motion for new trial is addressed to the discretion of the trial court, and unless an abuse of discretion is shown, the trial court's determination will not be disturbed. State v. Faust, 269 Neb. 749, 696 N.W.2d 420 (2005). An abuse of discretion occurs when a trial court's decision is based upon reasons that are untenable or unreasonable or if its action is clearly against justice or conscience, reason, and evidence. Id. Although Lykens framed his supplemental motion for new trial as based on "[n]ewly discovered evidence," in substance, the basis on which Lykens sought a new trial was a claim that the prosecution violated its duty under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S. Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963), to disclose material evidence favorable to the defendant. Because Lykens framed the issue as one regarding "newly discovered evidence," the parties and the Court of Appeals analyzed the issue using a mix of principles regarding newly discovered evidence and principles relating to the prosecution's claimed failure to disclose evidence favorable to the defendant. We conclude that the Court of Appeals analyzed Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial under the wrong principles. The substance of Lykens' allegations in support of his supplemental motion for new trial was that the State had failed to disclose the police interview of Brainard to Lykens prior to trial. Lykens claimed that such evidence was favorable to him and that therefore, the State should have disclosed the interview to him prior to trial. Although Lykens described such evidence as being "newly discovered evidence," the claims Lykens made in support of his motion for new trial are more akin to those made by the defendants in cases such as State v. Van, 268 Neb. 814, 688 *851 N.W.2d 600 (2004); State v. Shipps, 265 Neb. 342, 656 N.W.2d 622 (2003); and State v. Castor, 257 Neb. 572, 599 N.W.2d 201 (1999), which we analyzed under Brady. In Shipps, we described the defendant's basis for new trial as an assertion that "the State wrongfully withheld exculpatory material ... depriving [the defendant] of a fair trial under U.S. Const. amend. XIV and Neb. Const. art. I, § 3." 265 Neb. at 352, 656 N.W.2d at 631. Our cases echo the language in Brady, which language states that "the suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused ... violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment." 373 U.S. at 87, 83 S. Ct. 1194. Despite Lykens' references in the supplemental motion for new trial to "newly discovered evidence," his allegations in support of the motion were in substance an assertion that the State had wrongfully withheld exculpatory material in contravention of Brady, and we determine that the motion should have been analyzed as raising a Brady issue. Therefore, it was not necessary for the Court of Appeals to consider whether the interview was "newly discovered evidence" and instead, it was only necessary to consider whether, under the standards discussed below, the evidence was "wrongfully" withheld by the State such that Lykens was deprived of a fair trial. We recently observed in Shipps, supra, that the State's duty to disclose exculpatory evidence to the defendant was recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S. Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963). In Shipps, we referred to Brady and stated that "the suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good faith or the bad faith of the prosecution." 265 Neb. at 352, 656 N.W.2d 622. Accord Castor, supra. We note that although Brady spoke of the suppression of evidence "upon request," the Court in United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667, 682, 105 S. Ct. 3375, 87 L. Ed. 2d 481 (1985), made clear that the prosecution's duty under Brady to disclose evidence which is material covers "the `no request,' `general request,' and `specific request' cases of prosecutorial failure to disclose evidence favorable to the accused." See, also, Strickler v. Greene, 527 U.S. 263, 119 S. Ct. 1936, 144 L. Ed. 2d 286 (1999) (duty to disclose material evidence applicable even though there has been no request by accused and duty may be violated where evidence has been suppressed either willfully or inadvertently). In Bagley, the U.S. Supreme Court considered what evidence is material such that its nondisclosure was prejudicial to the defendant. The standard for materiality set forth in Bagley formed the basis for the "Bagley standard," which standard we have adopted and set forth in cases such as State v. Shipps, 265 Neb. 342, 656 N.W.2d 622 (2003), and State v. Castor, 257 Neb. 572, 599 N.W.2d 201 (1999). In Shipps, we stated: Shipps, 265 Neb. at 352, 656 N.W.2d at 631-32 (citing Castor, supra). Accord, *852 State v. Faust, 269 Neb. 749, 696 N.W.2d 420 (2005); State v. Van, 268 Neb. 814, 688 N.W.2d 600 (2004); State v. Strohl, 255 Neb. 918, 587 N.W.2d 675 (1999); State v. Lotter, 255 Neb. 456, 586 N.W.2d 591 (1998); State v. Boppre, 234 Neb. 922, 453 N.W.2d 406 (1990); State v. Jackson, 231 Neb. 207, 435 N.W.2d 893 (1989). Notwithstanding our adoption and consistent application of the Bagley standard, the Court of Appeals focused upon incidental language in State v. Atwater, 245 Neb. 746, 752, 515 N.W.2d 431, 435 (1994), which referred to United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 96 S. Ct. 2392, 49 L. Ed. 2d 342 (1976), which language stated that "when the evidence has been withheld by the prosecutor, the proper standard is that a constitutional error has been committed if the omitted evidence creates a reasonable doubt of guilt that otherwise did not exist." Utilizing this language in Atwater, the Court of Appeals incorrectly concluded that "in cases when the evidence alleged to be newly discovered was withheld by the State, a defendant is entitled to a new trial if the omitted evidence could have created a reasonable doubt that he or she committed the alleged crime or crimes." State v. Lykens, 13 Neb.App. 849, 861, 703 N.W.2d 159, 168 (2005). The "reasonable doubt" standard set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in Agurs and mentioned in Atwater was superseded in United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667, 105 S. Ct. 3375, 87 L. Ed. 2d 481 (1985). We must therefore disapprove Atwater to the extent it can be read to indicate that the "reasonable doubt" standard of Agurs rather than the Bagley standard is the proper standard to analyze whether evidence was wrongfully withheld by the prosecution. Similarly, we disapprove of the "could have created a reasonable doubt" language in the Court of Appeals' opinion in Lykens, and reiterate that the Bagley standard is the appropriate framework under which to analyze a Brady issue raised in a motion for new trial. In view of our discussion above, we determine that Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial should properly have been analyzed as a Brady issue and that the Bagley standard should have been used to analyze whether the Brainard interview was material. Lykens claims that the Brainard interview could have been useful at trial to support Lykens' theory that the robbery was committed by another individual. The State responds that the nondisclosure of the interview did not deprive Lykens of a fair trial. The parties do not dispute that the interview of Brainard was evidence that the State had in its possession and did not disclose to Lykens prior to trial. This fact is sufficient to establish that the evidence was "withheld," and the question in this case is therefore properly analyzed as a Brady issue. We begin by noting that the mere determination that evidence was withheld does not automatically indicate that the prosecution violated its Brady duty. As the U.S. Supreme Court stated in Strickler v. Greene, 527 U.S. 263, 281, 119 S. Ct. 1936, 144 L. Ed. 2d 286 (1999), The U.S. Supreme Court continued: "There are three components of a true Brady violation: the evidence at issue *853 must be favorable to the accused either because it is exculpatory, or because it is impeaching; that evidence must have been suppressed by the State, either willfully or inadvertently; and prejudice must have ensued." 527 U.S. at 281-82, 119 S. Ct. 1936. It has been observed that "[p]rejudice in this context is interchangeable with the concept of materiality...." 5 Wayne R. Lafave et al., Criminal Procedure § 24.3(b) at 232 (2d ed. Supp.2006). In view of the foregoing, the relevant inquiry in this case is whether the nature of the evidence at issue was such that the State's failure to disclose it to Lykens prior to trial violated Lykens' due process rights. We conclude that in this case, the evidence was not material under the Bagley standard and that therefore, the State's failure to disclose it did not violate Lykens' due process rights and was not a sufficiently serious nondisclosure so as to arise to a Brady violation. Therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial, and the Court of Appeals' conclusion to the contrary was error. As noted above, the State has a duty under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S. Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963), to disclose exculpatory evidence that is material, and favorable evidence is material under the Bagley standard "if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different." State v. Shipps, 265 Neb. 342, 352, 656 N.W.2d 622, 631 (2003). In this regard, in Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 434, 115 S. Ct. 1555, 131 L. Ed. 2d 490 (1995), the U.S. Supreme Court stated: "The question is not whether the defendant would more likely than not have received a different verdict with the evidence, but whether in [the absence of the nondisclosed evidence] he received a fair trial, understood as a trial resulting in a verdict worthy of confidence." We now focus on the Brainard interview while noting that Brainard was not a witness. In the interview, Brainard provided a physical description of himself and stated that he smoked cigarettes and occasionally wore hats. Brainard stated that he had fired BB guns in the past, but he did not state that he owned one. Although Brainard admitted that he had shoplifted, he denied that he had ever robbed a convenience store using a gun, and he specifically denied that he had committed the robbery that was the subject of this prosecution. The interview evidence was not of an impeaching nature, nor did it serve directly to exculpate Lykens. We do not think that the absence of the Brainard interview denied Lykens a fair trial, and on the contrary, the guilty verdict is worthy of confidence. See Kyles, supra. We conclude that there is not a reasonable probability that had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different. We conclude there was no Brady violation. Because we determine that there was no Brady violation resulting from the State's nondisclosure of the evidence at issue, we conclude that the district court did not err in denying a new trial on the basis of such evidence. The Court of Appeals therefore erred in reversing the district court's denial of Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial and in remanding the cause for a new trial, and accordingly, we reverse the ruling of the Court of Appeals. We conclude that the Court of Appeals used an improper standard to analyze whether the nondisclosure of the Brainard interview required a new trial. We further conclude that the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that the district court had abused its discretion by denying Lykens' supplemental motion for new trial and *854 in therefore reversing Lykens' conviction and remanding for a new trial. Accordingly, we reverse the Court of Appeals' decision. We note that neither party sought further review of the Court of Appeals' conclusion that the district court did not err in denying Lykens' motion to suppress, and that conclusion is the law of the case. Therefore, although we reverse the Court of Appeals' decision with respect to the motion for new trial, we do not disturb the decision with respect to the motion to suppress. We further note that because of its disposition of the new trial issue, the Court of Appeals did not consider Lykens' assignments of error with respect to his motion to dismiss and his remaining motion for mistrial. We therefore reverse, and remand to the Court of Appeals to consider Lykens' remaining assignments of error. REVERSED AND REMANDED FOR FURTHER PROCEEDINGS.