Opinion ID: 338465
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Unavailability of Informant Green

Text: 12 We found prejudicial delay in United States v. Barket, supra, where because of a delay of 47 months the defendant was prejudiced by the loss of witnesses to the circumstances of the transaction either by death or inability to recall. In United States v. Lovasco, supra, we affirmed the dismissal of three of four counts and held the defendant to have been prejudiced by a delay of 17 months during which a material witness died who was the person from whom the defendant claimed to have received guns and who the defendant testified would have supported his claim that he did not know that the guns were stolen from the United States mails. 13 The factual circumstances of this case are substantially different. The record shows that the missing witness, James Green, only introduced the government agents who purchased the firearms to Quinn and Wilson. Agent Patterson testified at the hearing on the motion to dismiss that he did not know Green's whereabouts and that he had not been in contact with Green for approximately two months. 3 Neither defendant carried his burden of affirmatively showing prejudice from the absence of the informant. There was no intimation that the informant could supply any information which might constitute a defense or rebut any necessary element of the offense. The government, on the other hand, adequately carried its burden of showing that the informant would have no basis for supplying exculpatory information. See United States v. Norton, 504 F.2d 342, 345 (8th Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1113, 95 S.Ct. 790, 42 L.Ed.2d 811 (1975). 4 The requirement of substantial prejudice set forth in United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 324, 92 S.Ct. 455, 30 L.Ed.2d 468 (1971) requires more than a mere showing of the unavailability of any witness. The missing witness must be one who could have supplied material evidence for the defense. See United States v. Naftalin, 534 F.2d 770, No. 75-1692 (8th Cir. 1976); United States v. Lovasco, supra, 532 F.2d at 62.