Title: Newman v. State
Citation: 334 N.E.2d 684
Docket Number: 974S199
State: Indiana
Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court
Date: October 3, 1975

334 N.E.2d 684 (1975)
Danny NEWMAN, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Indiana, Appellee.
No. 974S199.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
October 3, 1975.
*685 Harriette Bailey Conn, Public Defender, Stephen Brown, Deputy Public Defender, Indianapolis, for appellant.
Theodore L. Sendak, Atty. Gen., Robert F. Colker, Asst. Atty. Gen., Indianapolis, for appellee.
ARTERBURN, Justice.
The Appellant's conviction for kidnapping and rape was affirmed by this court in Newman v. State, (1970) 254 Ind. 578, 261 N.E.2d 364. The Appellant filed a Petition for Post-Conviction Relief on July 1, 1971. On February 22, 1974, following a hearing for post-conviction relief, the trial court entered its Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law which, omitting formalities, are as follows:
Appellant's appeal here thus involves one issue: whether or not the prosecution's nondisclosure of evidence regarding an agreement of leniency made with a prosecution witness, an alleged accomplice of the Appellant, deprived Appellant of due process of law and constituted reversible error.
At common law a convict was incompetent as a witness. 30 I.L.E. Witnesses § 25 (1960). However, under our Code, it was felt that justice required that such material witnesses should be competent, and that convictions and all other matters affecting credibility could be shown for the consideration of the jury. Ordinarily testimony of such witnesses may be considered by the jury along with any evidence that a witness may have been threatened, bribed or influenced to secure his testimony.
An accomplice who turns "state's evidence" and agrees to "cooperate" with the State in consideration of leniency or the dismissal of charges by the State, to be realistic, is being bribed, regardless of the fact that public policy has approved such action in the interest of effective law enforcement. *687 It does not necessarily follow that because of inducements offered to the accomplice his testimony is false. It is, however, highly suspect. Because of the pressure of such undue influence upon the witness in such cases the jury should have the evidence relating thereto. Such type of influence naturally impairs the credibility of such a witness.
In this state a defendant may be found guilty solely on the evidence of a confessed accomplice. Walker v. State, (1934) 206 Ind. 232, 189 N.E. 127; Payne v. State, (1924) 194 Ind. 365, 142 N.E. 651. Because human nature would tend to cause accomplices to "unload" against their partners and desire to clear themselves as much as possible of blame for a crime, such testimony should be highly scrutinized by the jury or fact finder. Such fact finding body should have before it all the relevant circumstances that caused or induced such witness to testify, including the rewards for such testimony.
In Adler v. State, (1967) 248 Ind. 193, 225 N.E.2d 171, we reviewed a similar question as here and found in that case that all pertinent testimony was laid before the jury with reference to immunity granted and any threats and abuse in connection therewith. Accordingly, we held such testimony was proper and no reversible error appeared in that regard. In the case before us it appears that the omission as to the immunity grant was inadvertent. Nevertheless, such inadvertence does not change the effect the omitted evidence may have had upon the jury's consideration in the conviction of the appellant.
"[W]hen the prosecution relies upon the testimony of a co-conspirator to obtain conviction of the accused, the co-conspirator's credibility is an important issue in the case, and evidence of any understanding or agreement as to future prosecution of the co-conspirator must be disclosed to the jury." Birkla v. State, (1975) Ind., 323 N.E.2d 645 at 648.
In Giglio v. United States, (1972) 405 U.S. 150, 92 S. Ct. 763, 31 L. Ed. 2d 104, the following comment on a like question was made:
405 U.S. 150, 153-154, 92 S. Ct. 763, 766, 31 L. Ed. 2d 104, 108.
The Findings of Fact entered after the Appellant's post-conviction hearing concluded that the evidence undisclosed to the jury in this case was material. With this conclusion we agree. Acker v. State, (1959) 239 Ind. 466, 158 N.E.2d 790. The court below also concluded, however, that *688 there is no reasonable likelihood that the evidence would have affected the verdict of the jury or the outcome of the trial. With this we can not agree. The testimony of another witness, the victim of the crimes charged, gave substantially the same evidence as the testimony of the accomplice in question here. But the testimony of each witness clearly was intended to reinforce the testimony of the other. The credibility of one witness would have an effect on the strength of the testimony offered by the other.
While agreements of leniency have been long accepted, this court cannot condone the non-disclosure of such an agreement from a jury. The judgment of the trial court is reversed and a new trial ordered.
All Justices concur.