Opinion ID: 867572
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Godoy's Misdeeds and Peasley's Misconduct

Text: ¶ 12 Before discussing the actual misconduct in this case, we recount the context in which it occurred. Deputy County Attorney Kenneth Peasley conducted the 1993 Soto-Fong trial and the 1993 and 1997 trials of Minnitt and McCrimmon. He did not participate in Minnitt's 1999 trial. In all three Minnitt trials and in both McCrimmon trials, the state's case depended heavily on Keith Woods' credibility. Importantly, as of September 2, the police had identified Soto-Fong, McCrimmon, and Minnitt as suspects in the El Grande crimes and had interviewed them. But according to Godoy, police hadyet to interview anyone who could provide direct evidence linking any of the three to the crimes. Woods was not interviewed until September 8, six days after the McCrimmon and Minnitt interviews. Godoy claimed to have received his first knowledge of any involvement by McCrimmon and Minnitt from his interview with Woods. This was the information the police were seekingthat McCrimmon and Minnitt had implicated themselves in the murders and that a witness would so testify. ¶ 13 Woods' credibility was tenuous. He was a convicted felon and drug addict who entered into an agreement with the state to provide testimony to avoid a lengthy prison sentence. The state had no plausible explanation why Godoy conducted the untaped interview with Woods. The defense strategy in the Minnitt and McCrimmon trials was to show that Godoy was the source of Woods' information about Minnitt's and McCrimmon's involvement in the case, and that during the untaped interview, he fed that information to Woods. If Godoy was indeed the source, Woods' testimony would not have helped the state. Similarly, without Woods, the state's case would be significantly weakened because no direct or physical evidence connected Minnitt to the crime, and the credibility of the remaining witnesses was questionable.
¶ 14 In 1993, Peasley began to lay the foundation for Godoy's testimony. His questioning of Godoy and his arguments to the jury indicate that he knew the case hinged on Woods' credibility. His purpose, clearly apparent, was to destroy the defense's claim that Godoy himself, not the suspects, was the source, and that Godoy had fed Woods the three names during the untaped interview. Throughout the trial he argued that Woods was believable because the only possible sources for Woods' information were the defendants themselves, not Godoy. ¶ 15 In his opening statement to the jury, Peasley described Godoy's investigation, stating that the detective did not know that Soto-Fong had worked at the El Grande Market until Godoy interviewed Woods on September 8. Contrary to what he knew to be true, Peasley insisted that the police did not have the names of Soto-Fong, McCrimmon, or Minnitt until after Godoy and Woods met on September 8. During his direct examination of Godoy, Peasley elicited testimony that Godoy had gone to the El Grande Market with the name of Martin Soto-Fong only after talking with Keith Woods. The record is replete with evidence of Peasley's full awareness that this line of testimony was utterly false. ¶ 16 On redirect examination, Peasley continued to ask questions designed to mislead the jury regarding when and how Godoy discovered the defendants' names. Peasley: And is it fair to say that essentially the information that you began working with when Mr. McCrimmon and Mr. Minnitt and Martin Fong became suspects would have been after the time that you talked to Keith Woods in this case? Godoy: Yes. Godoy was later recalled, whereupon Peasley continued: Peasley: Sir, when was the first time you became aware personally that a former employee may have been involved in the El Grande homicide? Godoy: When I spoke with Keith Woods on September the 8 of 1992. ¶ 17 In his closing argument, Peasley reinforced Godoy's false testimony by stating, I told you at the beginning of the case, folks, that there would be no less than four major reasons for why you would believe Keith Woods and why you would find that these Defendants are guilty. ¶ 18 He continued this theme in his rebuttal statement: When you look at Mr. Woodsand I would invite you to do itif you go back in the jury room, you can look at the exhibits all you want. The simple fact of the matter is that when you go back into the jury room, answer the question about whether or not you believe Keith Woods, about what he had to say in the case. Because if you do, the case is over, the trial is over and you can start signing the verdicts. Because if you believe Keith Woods' testimony about his conversations, both of these defendants have confessed to every one of these offenses. And I would ask you, again, as I did in closing arguments or, excuse me, in opening statement go through and talk about it.
¶ 19 Peasley continued to rely on Godoy to bolster Keith Woods' credibility in Minnitt's 1997 retrial. During direct examination of Godoy, Peasley asked a series of questions designed to erase any doubt that the source of Godoy's information could have been anyone but Woods. Peasley Q: When you first sat down and talked with Mr. Wood [sic] on September 8 of 1992, had you in your investigation come up with the name Keith Wood? Godoy A: No, Sir. Q: Excuse me. Had you come up with the name Chris McCrimmon? A: No. Q: Had you come up with the name Andre Minnitt? A: No, sir. Q: Had you come up with the name Cha-chi? A: No. Q: Had you come up with the name Martin Fong or Martin Soto Fong? A: No. Q: The first time you heard of any of those three names would have been with the conversation with Keith Wood on September 8, 1992? A: Yes. Q: Did you in any way suggest to him what he ought to say or what he ought to tell you? A: I did not, no. The 1997 trial ended in a mistrial because the jury failed to reach a verdict. No explanation or reason was given. 3. McCrimmon's 1997 Retrial ¶ 20 McCrimmon's 1997 retrial began one week after Minnitt's trial ended in a hung jury. In a pretrial hearing just prior to McCrimmon's retrial, Godoy's false testimony in Minnitt's trial one week earlier and Peasley's knowledge of the falsehood were discovered, perhaps inadvertently, when Peasley asked the trial judge for guidance on introducing McCrimmon's involvement in the restaurant robbery and whether Godoy could refer to confidential information in his presentation of that evidence. In the course of the discussion, Peasley stated that because of the [restaurant] case, Detective Godoy gets from Detective Fuller the name of Minnitt as associated with McCrimmon and starts wondering if they are doing [the restaurant] together.... The conversation between Godoy and Fuller took place September 1, a full week before Godoy's interview with Woods. Godoy's interviews with McCrimmon and Minnitt took place September 2. It thus became apparent that Peasley had misled the Minnitt jury and that he was aware Godoy had associated Minnitt with McCrimmon prior to Godoy's September 8 interview with Woods. In response, McCrimmon's counsel submitted a list of Godoy's false statements made in Minnitt's trial the week before and informed the court that he planned to impeach Godoy on his prior false testimony. ¶ 21 Knowing that McCrimmon's defense counsel would impeach Godoy, Peasley, during direct examination, had Godoy provide an accounting of his investigation. Godoy explained that his previous false testimony was derived from his fear that discussing anonymous sources could have resulted in a mistrial. [I]n prior hearings since this, I have never been able to legally testify in court about confidential informants, and that's why I said no. Then, during redirect, Godoy stated, Basically if I go into testimony that I received information from a confidential informant before I testify, there is a chance that that's going to be a mistrial in this case, so I didn't want to take a chance of making a mistake and having a mistrial. ¶ 22 In response, McCrimmon's defense counsel aggressively cross-examined Godoy by having him recount the false testimony he had given the week before in Minnitt's trial. Godoy explained Peasley's involvement and knowledge and gave a detailed accounting of his own investigation prior to his September 8 meeting with Woods. Defense counsel also reviewed the Minnitt transcripts to point out that Godoy was never asked to reveal confidential informant information. Having learned of the false testimony, the jury acquitted McCrimmon of all charges. 4. Minnitt's Post-Trial Motion ¶ 23 After McCrimmon's 1997 trial and following the not guilty verdict in which Godoy's false testimony had been revealed, Minnitt moved to dismiss the charges against him, asserting prosecutorial misconduct based on Peasley's knowing introduction of false evidence through witness Godoy in the 1993 joint trial and in Minnitt's 1997 trial. The motion was denied. Minnitt then moved to dismiss based on double jeopardy, asserting prosecutorial misconduct in eliciting false testimony from Godoy. Following an evidentiary hearing, the trial court found that the prosecutor had engaged in misconduct by posing questions that elicited false testimony in front of the jury, that the false testimony was helpful to the state's case, and that it could have been corrected by the prosecutor. The trial court rejected the double jeopardy argument that the state's conduct was intended to further an improper purpose, but nevertheless found the conduct occurred with known indifference to a significant danger of mistrial or reversal. Despite the finding of serious misconduct, the trial court denied the motion to dismiss, concluding the mistrial resulted from the jury's inability to reach a verdict, rather than from Peasley's and Godoy's misdeeds. ¶ 24 Following the trial court's denial of the motion to dismiss, Minnitt filed a petition for special action to this court. Special action jurisdiction is always discretionary. We declined jurisdiction, knowing that, should Minnitt be convicted in the third trial, this court would then have the opportunity to conduct appellate review on a complete record.