Opinion ID: 790329
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: New and Previously Undisclosed Evidence

Text: 66 Smith next argues that the district court erred in denying his motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. This evidence consists of: (1) a statement by Larone Brim that Allen asked Brim to touch up Smith for failure to pay a debt; (2) a statement from Black Disciple Will Carthan that Allen and his associates conducted surveillance of Smith to ensure that he sold narcotics; (3) grand jury testimony from a Black Disciple member in a related investigation that a Chicago police officer received protection money from the gang; and (4) a statement by Charles Jackson that he heard from Antwayne Palmore, who had heard from a third-party, that Smith had been beaten with a baseball bat for failing to pay a debt. 67 Under Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, a district court may vacate any judgement and grant a new trial if the interest of justice so requires. To carry his burden of showing that the interest of justice requires a new trial, a defendant must establish that the evidence: (1) came to his knowledge only after trial; (2) could not have been discovered sooner had due diligence been exercised; (3) is material and not merely impeaching or cumulative; and (4) would probably lead to an acquittal in the event of a retrial. United States v. Ryan, 213 F.3d 347, 352 (7th Cir.2000). [W]e approach such motions with great caution and are wary of second-guessing the determinations of both judge and jury. United States v. DePriest, 6 F.3d 1201, 1216 (7th Cir.1993). Accordingly, we will reverse the denial of a motion for a new trial only upon a showing of abuse of discretion. United States v. Reed, 986 F.2d 191, 193 (7th Cir.1993). 68 Every piece of evidence offered by Smith fails at least one prong of the above-recited test. With respect to Larone Brim's statement that Allen asked him to touch up Smith for failure to pay a debt and Will Carthan's statement about the Black Disciples' surveillance of Smith's house, Smith fails to address why this evidence could not have been discovered before trial. The grand jury testimony about Black Disciple members paying protection money to the police would have corroborated a largely unchallenged and unsurprising portion of Smith's testimony—that gang members seek to mitigate the risks associated with their unlawful behavior by bribing unscrupulous police officers. It is not the sort of evidence that warrants a new trial. Finally, we doubt that Jackson's statement that Smith was beaten with a bat would lead to an acquittal in the event of a retrial. Even though the evidence would corroborate a portion of Smith's testimony, a jury would probably still reject his coercion defense because of his admittedly extensive involvement with Allen's drug group and because of his failure to permanently flee the area or seek the assistance of authorities. The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Smith's motion for a new trial.