Opinion ID: 1920706
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the board withheld exculpatory evidence from strain and his counsel, violating strain's due process rights.

Text: Strain asserts that the Board withheld exculpatory impeachment evidence consisting of statements from two students allegedly contradicting Gregory's testimony. Strain claims that the Board has a legal obligation to disclose exculpatory evidence, and the failure to disclose this evidence deprived Strain of his due process rights. The two statements in question were obtained by the Pennington County Sheriff's Department during its investigation and provided to the Board during the summer of 1986. Exculpatory evidence is not a narrow term denoting alibi or other proof of innocence. Rather, it comprehends all evidence which tends to negate guilt of the accused. Stated affirmatively, exculpatory evidence supports the innocence of a defendant. Com. v. St. Germain, 381 Mass. 256, 408 N.E.2d 1358 (1980). It is evidence which clears or tends to clear an accused person from alleged guilt. Gibson v. State, 110 Idaho 631, 718 P.2d 283 (1986). Applying these standards to this case, the statements of the students are not exculpatory. [2] In the first statement the student said that the same thing happened to her as it did to Gregory. The statement shows that when the student would ask Strain a question, he would put his hand on her leg. When she went over to his desk to ask a question, he would put his hand between her legs. The touching made her a little bit uncomfortable. This statement is not exculpatory impeachment evidence. Rather, it confirms Gregory's testimony. In the second statement, another student initially stated, you know I can't honestly say that ... he did anything to me. However, later in the statement she says that on one occasion when taking a test Strain put his arm around her and rubbed his arm on her making contact with her breasts. This occurred at a time when she was making up a test and the rest of the class was not there. She further stated that at the time she felt uncomfortable because she was asking Strain a question and he did not need to put his arm around her. In the statement she advised the sheriff's department that she liked Strain and respected him, and did not want to get involved. This statement is not exculpatory impeachment of the Gregory testimony. Since the two statements in question are not exculpatory, there is no due process requirement that the Board provide the statements to Strain. It should be noted that prior to the hearing Strain made a specific request for a list of witnesses from who the Board would seek testimony. Neither of the above students testified at the hearing; however, the names of both of these students were provided to Strain on September 9, 1986, in Gregory's statement. More information was furnished to Strain by the Board prior to the hearing than was requested by Strain or required by due process. The Board's disclosures fully comport with fundamental fairness.