Opinion ID: 2032740
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: -Deprivation of Exculpatory Evidence Through Redaction-

Text: Sitting Crow's last argument is that redaction [] of a statement by Sitting Crow, describing the stick Jaques used in clubbing Gray, prejudicially created an impression that Sitting Crow himself had used the stick. This, Sitting Crow alleges, had the effect of suppressing exculpatory evidence, in violation of the principles set out in Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963) (withholding of requested evidence by the prosecution favorable to defendant violates due process requirements). Brady is inapposite. Other courts have, however, encountered this question, holding that introduction of redacted statements is permissible if all parts of the extrajudicial statements implicating any codefendants can be and are effectively deleted without prejudice to the declarant.  People v. Boggs, 255 Cal. App.2d 693, 702, 63 Cal.Rptr. 430, 436 (1967) (emphasis added) (no prejudice resulted, however, where defendant's confession rendered him guilty as a matter of law). See also People v. La Belle, 18 N.Y. 2d 405, 276 N.Y.S.2d 105, 222 N.E.2d 727 (1966) (redaction of La Belle's statement not only eliminated prejudicial references to his codefendant but also eliminated those portions of the statement tending to exculpate La Belle); 2 W.R. LaFave & J.H. Israel, Criminal Procedure, § 17.2, at 366 (1984). Here, however, as in Boggs, we find no prejudice. As admitted into evidence, Sitting Crow's statement was amended to: He also described the club to me that was used in the beating of Marty Gray, approximately three and a half feet long, had bark on it, a straight stick. He said after the fight he threw the stick into the trees west of his house. No evidence was ever introduced which indicated that Sitting Crow clubbed Gray with the stick. The stick, however, was matched to a wound on Gray's body, and the neighbors observed Jaques wielding it outside the house. Jaques testified that he himself struck Gray with the stick, having grabbed it at the start of the fracas. Given this evidence, there is simply no prejudice to Sitting Crow. The questioned portion of the statement was not inculpatory toward Sitting Crow as there was no accusation that Sitting Crow used the stick against Gray. Therefore, there would be no possible exculpatory effect in admitting the unredacted statement. While we agree that introduction of his own redacted statements may sometimes deprive a defendant of due process, as in La Belle, 276 N.Y.S. 2d 105, 222 N.E.2d 727, we are not confronted with such a case. We are totally convinced that Jaques and Sitting Crow received fair trials in Clay County. Therefore, having treated the issues established by the notice of appeal and the briefs herein, we affirm the conviction of second-degree manslaughter. WUEST, C.J., SABERS and MILLER, JJ., and FOSHEIM, Retired Justice, concur. FOSHEIM, Retired Justice, sitting for MORGAN, J., disqualified.