Opinion ID: 1342412
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Present Exculpatory Evidence to Grand Jury

Text: The Appellant claims a due process violation in the failure of the prosecution to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury. The Appellant contends that the State failed to read his statement to the grand jury. The prosecuting attorney informed the grand jury only of Banig's statement that the Appellant possibly came out of the bathroom with the gun.... The Appellant maintains that the grand jury may have indicted him for a lesser charge if it had been informed of the entire contents of his own personal statement. In response to the Appellant's assertions, the State maintains that it has no duty to present exculpatory evidence to a grand jury. The traditional function of a grand jury is to determine whether there is sufficient probable cause to require a defendant to stand trial, rather than to engage in an analysis of the truth of the charges. In State ex rel. Pinson v. Maynard, 181 W.Va. 662, 383 S.E.2d 844 (1989), this Court recognized that [c]riminal defendants have frequently sought to challenge the validity of grand jury indictments on the ground that they are not supported by adequate or competent evidence. 181 W.Va. at 665, 383 S.E.2d at 847. This contention, however, often runs counter to the function of the grand jury, which is not to determine the truth of the charges against the defendant, but to determine whether there is sufficient probable cause to require the defendant to stand trial. Id., 383 S.E.2d at 847. The United States Supreme Court declined to impose a duty upon prosecutors to disclose exculpatory evidence in United States v. Williams, 504 U.S. 36, 112 S.Ct. 1735, 118 L.Ed.2d 352 (1992), finding that a rule requiring prosecutors to present exculpatory evidence in addition to incriminating evidence would alter the grand jury's historical role, transforming it from an accusatory to an adjudicatory body. 504 U.S. at 51, 112 S.Ct. 1735. Likewise, in State v. Miller, 197 W.Va. 588, 476 S.E.2d 535 (1996), this Court, citing Williams, found no merit to a defendant's contention that the grand jury was not provided with exculpatory evidence. 197 W.Va. at 596 n. 5, 476 S.E.2d at 543 n. 5. The State explains that although the Appellant's statement was not read verbatim to the grand jury, it cannot be accused of concealing all favorable evidence during the grand jury proceedings since it did present some exculpatory evidence. The grand jury was informed that the Appellant had provided a statement in which he asserted that he took the gun from Chapman and shot the decedents. Moreover, the grand jury was informed that Banig had originally stated that Chapman had brought the gun to the trailer but that Banig had later altered his statement to assert that the Appellant had the weapon prior to the arrival of Chapman and Gauze. The grand jury was further informed that Banig's wife, Melissa, thought she may have seen a knife in Gauze's hand at some point. Further, the grand jury was informed that Jamie Domosley initially stated that Banig had a gun in the hallway. Thus, while the prosecution may have exercised some degree of discretion in determining the extent of exculpatory evidence to be presented to the grand jury, the failure to read the Appellant's statement in its entirety does not suggest an intention to conceal exculpatory evidence, gain any unfair advantage, or selectively present evidence to mislead the grand jury. Based upon the foregoing, this Court finds no merit to the Appellant's contention regarding any inadequacy in the presentation of evidence to the grand jury.