Opinion ID: 153600
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Government's Failure to Turn Over Photos Used in Photo Lineup

Text: 6 The government intended to rely at trial on the testimony of Debra Wensel and Royce England. Ms. Wensel and Mr. England had been involved in drug transactions with both Mr. Gutierrez and the co-defendant. In preparing its case, the government showed Ms. Wensel and Mr. England a photo array with the hope that the witnesses could identify Mr. Gutierrez. Ms. Wensel, however, could not identify Mr. Gutierrez. Although defense counsel repeatedly requested to see the photographs, the government delayed and finally admitted that it had lost the original photos. It did provide Mr. Gutierrez with photocopies of the photographs. Before trial, the trial court viewed the photocopies of the photo array and ruled that the photographs were impermissibly suggestive. The court based its ruling on the fact that the photo array contained three photos: one of a woman, one of Mr. Gutierrez who is Hispanic, and one of another man who appeared to be non-Hispanic. The court did not allow Ms. Wensel to identify Mr. Gutierrez in court, but did allow her to testify about her involvement in the relevant drug transactions. 7 Mr. Gutierrez argues that the original photographs, rather than the photocopies, amounted to Brady material and should have been turned over. Mr. Gutierrez argues that they were exculpatory in nature because Ms. Wensel could not identify the defendant even though the photographs were clearly impermissibly suggestive. He further argues that the photocopies were insufficient because they were not high quality reproductions and thus the jury would not have been able to appreciate the exculpatory nature of Ms. Wensel's inability to identify the defendant. Finally, Mr. Gutierrez argues that all of Ms. Wensel's testimony should have been stricken in order to remedy the alleged Brady violation. 8 In order to establish a Brady violation, a defendant must show that the suppressed evidence was both exculpatory and material. Brady, 373 U.S. at 87. Assuming that the original photographs were indeed exculpatory, Mr. Gutierrez fails to establish that they were material. Materiality is established if there is a reasonable probability that the result of the proceeding would have been different had the evidence been turned over to the defense. Smith v. Secretary of New Mexico Dep't of Corrections, 50 F.3d 801, 827 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 116 S.Ct. 272 (1995). Mr. Gutierrez argues that the original photographs were needed because of the poor quality of the photocopies. This argument is belied by the fact that the trial court was able to use the photocopies to rule that the array was unduly suggestive. The court did so without encountering any problems with the quality of the photocopies. It is doubtful that the jury would have been misled by the photocopies when the judge himself had no problem with their quality. Thus, the failure of the government to turn over the original photographs, rather than their photocopies would not have changed the result in the proceedings and therefore the original photographs were not material evidence. No Brady violation occurred. 9