Opinion ID: 540108
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Possible Jencks Act Violation

Text: 61 Appellant argues that the district court erred in failing to order a new trial, or alternatively, to strike Benson's testimony, because Benson had destroyed some rough notes he had made during his investigation of Simtob, arguably in violation of the Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3500 (the Act). It is the responsibility of the district court to determine whether such notes constitute statements within the meaning of the Act, United States v. Johnson, 521 F.2d 1318, 1320 (9th Cir.1975), and, if so, to determine whether and what sanctions might be appropriate. United States v. Parker, 549 F.2d 1217, 1224 (9th Cir.) cert. denied, 430 U.S. 971, 97 S.Ct. 1659, 52 L.Ed.2d 365 (1977). We therefore review a trial court's ruling on Jencks Act issues for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Polizzi, 801 F.2d 1543, 1552 (9th Cir.1986). 62 The evidence was conflicting on whether Benson's notes could be considered statements for purposes of the Act. Counsel for Simtob elicited on cross-examination that the notes were written by Benson himself contemporaneously with events described, and contained at least one reference to Simtob. They therefore related, in small part, to the subject matter of direct examination, and arguably were statements under the Act. See Goldberg v. United States, 425 U.S. 94, 96 S.Ct. 1338, 47 L.Ed.2d 603 (1976); Polizzi, 801 F.2d at 1552 (9th Cir.1986). Other testimony indicates, however, that Benson's notes were merely bits and pieces of information which he collected and reduced to writing to refresh his recollection during discussions with DEA agent Mountsier concerned various suspects, not merely involving Simtob. A government agent's rough notes will not be Jencks Act statements when they are not complete, are truncated in nature, or have become an unsiftable mix of witness testimony, investigator's selections, interpretations, and interpolations, United States v. Griffin, 659 F.2d, 932, 937 (9th Cir.1981) cert. denied, 456 U.S. 949, 102 S.Ct. 2019, 72 L.Ed.2d 473 (1982), quoting United States v. Spencer, 618 F.2d 605, 606 (9th Cir.1980). 63 But even if the notes do amount to statements which would have been producible under the Jencks Act, the trial court correctly considered both the possibility of government culpability as well as the degree of injury to the defendant. United States v. Finnegan, 568 F.2d 637, 642 (9th Cir.1977); see also United States v. Miller, 771 F.2d 1219, 1233 (9th Cir.1985) (harmless error doctrine applies to Jencks Act decisions). Appellant concedes that the record indicates that the case agent did not direct the destruction of the notes, and that they were destroyed by Benson--apparently concerned about maintaining his cover and personal safety--without any impropriety on the part of the government. 64 Under these circumstances, even though the trial judge did not clearly rule that the notes constituted statements under the Act, we find no abuse of discretion in its refusal to strike Benson's testimony or order a new trial as a result of their destruction.