Opinion ID: 2460227
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Endorsement of Deputy Wagganer

Text: Johnston claims that since the State did not endorse Deputy Wagganer as a guiltphase witness until the first day of trial, the trial court erred in failing to grant a continuance and in denying his motion to suppress Wagganer's testimony. The State originally certified Wagganer as a penalty phase witness. In response to Johnston's motions to exclude evidence of Johnston's prior threats to and beatings of his wife and for a continuance, the trial court heard Wagganer's proposed testimony at a pre-trial motion hearing. Wagganer testified about arresting Johnston on a prior occasion. The State certified Wagganer as a guiltphase witness on the first day of jury selection. Determining whether a sanction should be imposed for a discovery violation lies within the discretion of the trial court. State v. Neil, 869 S.W.2d 734, 738 (Mo. banc 1994). When the trial court declines to impose a sanction, we must determine whether the State's violation resulted in fundamental unfairness or bore a real potential for substantively altering the outcome of the trial. Id. Fundamental unfairness occurs in discovery violation cases when the State's failure to disclose results in defendant's genuine surprise at learning of an unexpected witness or evidence and the surprise prevents meaningful efforts by the defendant to consider and prepare a strategy for addressing the state's evidence. In this instance, the late certification caused no fundamental unfairness, nor did Wagganer's testimony substantively alter the outcome of the trial. This is because Johnston knew the details of Wagganer's likely testimony at the penalty phase prior to trial. Moreover, Wagganer's testimony was neither complex nor lengthy. Johnston could not claim prejudicial surprise when the State chose to offer Wagganer's testimony at a different part of the trial. In a related claim, Johnston claims that a statement he volunteered to Wagganer on February 16, 1989which was admitted at trialwas obtained in violation of his 6th Amendment right to counsel and should have been suppressed. The statement, however, was made during Wagganer's investigation of a previous, separate charge (tampering with a witness). Johnston's statementthat he would kill the bitch [Nancy] for f___ it upwas in response to Wagganer's admonition to Johnston to stop making harassing phone calls to Nancy to get her to drop charges against him or he would face potential prosecution. The statement did not arise from an interrogation. Assuming arguendo that Johnston's statement was the product of an interrogation (which it was not), the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is offense-specific. McNeil v. Wisconsin, 501 U.S. 171, 175, 111 S.Ct. 2204, 2207, 115 L.Ed.2d 158 (1991). There is no constitutional violation here. See State v. Parker 886 S.W.2d 908, 918 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 514 U.S. 1098, 115 S.Ct. 1827, 131 L.Ed.2d 748 (1995); State v. Brown, 902 S.W.2d 278, 291 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 116 S.Ct. 679, 133 L.Ed.2d 527 (1995).