Opinion ID: 567448
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motion for New Trial for Failure to Provide Exculpatory Evidence

Text: 38 James Bickett complains that the United States failed to inform him of Haskell's reluctance to testify at trial and that the prosecution failed to provide defense counsel with Hunt's DEA Form 6 Statement containing exculpatory material. He asserts that both are discoverable under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). Defendant cites United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667 (1985), for the proposition that Hunt's DEA Form 6 Statement contains impeachment evidence that falls within the Brady rule. The Court in Bagley held that the proper standard of materiality to determine whether a conviction should be reversed for failure to disclose requested evidence that could have been used to impeach a government witness is if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Bagley, 473 U.S. at 682. Defendant argues that the same standard of materiality applies to cases of prosecutorial failure to disclose evidence favorable to the accused even where there has been no request for such evidence. Accordingly, defendant asserts that the government's failure to inform defendant of Haskell's reluctance to testify at trial also falls within the Brady rule. 39 The United States responds that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding that the DEA Form 6 Report did not fall within the Brady definition of exculpatory evidence. The district court found that the report contained exclusively inculpatory evidence that defendant only could use for impeachment purposes. Furthermore, the trial court found that any impeachment value of the report was minimal, inasmuch as the issues contained in the report were fully explored at trial during cross-examination. Additionally, the government responds that it did not fail to disclose any material pertaining to Haskell's reluctance to testify for the simple reason that no prosecutorial threats were made to Haskell, and, therefore, no such evidence exists. 40 We find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying a new trial based upon the government's failure to provide exculpatory evidence. The court acted well within its discretion in finding that the report referred to by defendant contained inculpatory rather than exculpatory evidence, and therefore, did not fall within the Brady definition. Brady requires disclosure only of evidence that is both favorable to the accused and material either to guilt or punishment. Brady, 373 U.S. at 87. Furthermore, the court exercised its discretion properly in finding that the allegations regarding Haskell's reluctance to testify were not exculpatory material. The district court properly found that the allegations were not credible inasmuch as they were contained in the affidavit of a federal prisoner taken after trial. 41