Opinion ID: 2303013
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Reasonable Searches

Text: As we stated in Blake v. State, 418 Md. 445, 460, 15 A.3d 787, 796 (2011) [hereinafter Blake II ], [t]he `clearly erroneous' standard of review is applicable to the Circuit Court's finding that [a] search... was `a reasonable search under § 8-201 of Maryland's Criminal Procedure Article.' In construing this standard, we have maintained that we must consider evidence produced at the trial in a light most favorable to the prevailing party and if substantial evidence was presented to support the trial court's determination, it is not clearly erroneous and cannot be disturbed. Ryan v. Thurston, 276 Md. 390, 392, 347 A.2d 834, 835-36 (1975) (citations omitted). Thus, [i]f there is any competent evidence to support the factual findings below, those findings cannot be held to be clearly erroneous. Solomon v. Solomon, 383 Md. 176, 202, 857 A.2d 1109, 1123 (2004) (quotation and citation omitted). Blake I, 395 Md. at 216, 909 A.2d at 1022, involved the denial of a petition for DNA testing of scientific identification evidence that the State had used at Blake's trial for first degree rape and first degree sexual offense in 1982. Blake filed the petition for DNA testing pursuant to § 8-201 of the Criminal Procedure Article. Blake I, 395 Md. at 217, 909 A.2d at 1022. The State filed a motion to dismiss the petition, followed by a supplemental motion to dismiss, claiming that the scientific identification evidence had been destroyed well before October 1, 2001, the effective date of the statute. Id. Included with the motions were two attachments. Id. One of the attachments was a letter from an Assistant State's Attorney to a lieutenant of the Baltimore City Police Department requesting that the officer conduct a search of the Evidence Control Room to determine whether there was any evidence related to Blake's case. Id. The second attachment was a memorandum written by a sergeant and addressed to a major in the Baltimore City Police Department, indicating that the Evidence Control Room had been searched and no evidence had been located. Id. The court then summarily dismissed Blake's petition without a hearing and without giving Blake an opportunity to respond to the State's motion. Id. On review before this Court, Blake contended that the lower court improperly dismissed his petition because it lacked an adequate factual record from which to conclude that the State no longer possessed the requested scientific identification evidence. Id. We held that because the State was the custodian of the evidence and because information regarding the location and potential manner of destruction of the evidence would be within the exclusive knowledge of the State, it had the burden of establishing that the evidence no longer exists. Blake I, 395 Md. at 232, 909 A.2d at 1031. In evaluating whether the State had met its burden, we held that [a]n unsworn memorandum, stating that the State merely requested the police to look in the evidence control unit, is insufficient to establish [that the evidence no longer exists.] Blake I, 395 Md. at 227, 909 A.2d at 1028. While discussing the history of § 8-201 and the purpose of the statute, we described in detail a report issued by the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence. See Blake I, 395 Md. at 220-22, 909 A.2d at 1024-25 (discussing Nat'l Inst. of Justice, Nat'l Comm'n on the Future of DNA Evidence, Postconviction DNA Testing: Recommendations for Handling Requests (Sept. 1999) [hereinafter NIJ Report], available at http://www. ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/177626.pdf). We noted in Blake I that the Commission cautioned prosecutors against concluding too hastily that evidence sought by an inmate no longer exists. Blake I, 395 Md. at 221, 909 A.2d at 1024 (citing NIJ Report at 45). The NIJ Report suggests looking for evidence in places where it will most likely be found, and it provides a list of recommended locations. Blake I, 395 Md. at 221-22, 909 A.2d at 1024-25 (quoting NIJ Report at 46). In accordance with the NIJ Report's recommendation that the State conduct an extensive search for the evidence, we held that the State's efforts in Blake I were insufficient. Blake I, 395 Md. at 232-33, 909 A.2d at 1031 (citing NIJ Report at 36). Therefore, we reversed the judgment of the lower court and remanded the case for further proceedings. Blake I, 395 Md. at 239, 909 A.2d at 1035. In Blake II, 418 Md. at 448, 15 A.3d at 789, we addressed the sufficiency of subsequent efforts by the State to conduct a reasonable search following our remand to the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court concluded that after four hearings, during which [the court] received testimony, documentary evidence, affidavits, and proffered information about the State's efforts to locate the evidence sought to be tested, the State had met its burden of establishing a prima facie case that the requested scientific identification evidence no longer exists. Blake II, 418 Md. at 450, 15 A.3d at 790. We applied the clearly erroneous standard of review, and we concluded, based on the extensive search conducted by the State and the evidence presented on remand, that the Circuit Court judge's denial of Blake's petition was not clearly erroneous. Blake II, 418 Md. at 462, 15 A.3d at 797. In Arey I, we addressed, inter alia, the issue of whether a Circuit Court judge erred in concluding that scientific identification evidence related to Arey's 1974 conviction for first degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence no longer existed. Arey I, 400 Md. at 494-95, 929 A.2d at 503. Arey filed a petition requesting DNA testing of blood evidence, pursuant to § 8-201 of the Criminal Procedure Article. Arey I, 400 Md. at 494, 929 A.2d at 503. The court scheduled a hearing for the matter, but asserted that [s]hould the State produce prior to the hearing an affidavit from someone with firsthand knowledge stating that the State no longer has the evidence for which the [appellant] has requested the testing, there will be no need for the hearing and it will be cancelled. Arey I, 400 Md. at 499, 929 A.2d at 505-06. A Baltimore City Police Department sergeant, on behalf of the State, thereafter filed an affidavit stating that he was in charge of the Evidence Control Unit (ECU), that he performed a search for the requested evidence by searching the ECU database and forms kept on file, and that he was unable to locate the requested evidence. Arey I, 400 Md. at 499, 929 A.2d at 506. In light of this affidavit and the fact that Arey did not produce any evidence to contradict it, the judge denied the petition for DNA testing. Arey I, 400 Md. at 499-500, 929 A.2d at 506. On review, we reaffirmed our holding in Blake I that the burden is on the State to establish a prima facie case that the requested scientific identification evidence no longer exists. Arey I, 400 Md. at 504-05, 929 A.2d at 509 (quoting Blake I, 395 Md. at 232, 909 A.2d at 1031). We maintained that the State will only have satisfied its burden of persuasion after performing a reasonable search and demonstrating a prima facie case that the requested evidence no longer exists. Arey I, 400 Md. at 505, 929 A.2d at 509. We determined that unless there is a written record that the requested evidence has been destroyed in accordance with existing protocol, the State must check every location where the evidence could reasonably be located. Arey I, 400 Md. at 503-04, 929 A.2d at 508. Ultimately, we held that the State did not perform a reasonable search for scientific identification evidence related to Arey's case because it did not search every location where the evidence could reasonably have been located. Arey I, 400 Md. at 503, 929 A.2d at 508-09. On remand following this Court's mandate in Arey I, the Circuit Court held four hearings, during which the State provided a logbook from the Baltimore City Police Department's crime laboratory that indicated evidence from Arey's case had been examined in 1973 by a person with the initials R.S.D. Arey v. State, 422 Md. 328, 332-33, 29 A.3d 986, 988-89 (2011) [hereinafter Arey II ]. The court ordered the State to ascertain the identity of this person, and the State subsequently provided an affidavit from Robert S. Davis, the crime laboratory technician who testified at Arey's original trial. Arey II, 422 Md. at 333, 29 A.3d at 989. The affidavit asserted that Mr. Davis did not recall examining the relevant piece of evidence, nor did he know where it might currently be located. Id. Mr. Davis did aver, however, that he did not personally keep evidence that he tested; rather, he returned the evidence to the Evidence Control Unit after testing was completed. Id. Lastly, Mr. Davis maintained that the small amount of sample that was tested would usually be consumed in the test. Id. The Circuit Court dismissed Arey's petition two days later, concluding that the State had conducted a reasonable search for the evidence. Id. On appeal before this Court, we decided to remand the case again to the Circuit Court, reasoning that, [a]lthough we decline to hold that the hearing judge's ultimate conclusion was clearly erroneous, we do decide that, on the record before us, the ruling was premature. Arey II, 422 Md. at 335, 29 A.3d at 990. We determined that Arey should have been given the opportunity to probe, challenge, or otherwise respond to the statements in [Mr. Davis's] affidavit, despite the State's contention that continued questioning would not reveal any additional information regarding the location of the evidence. Arey II, 422 Md. at 337, 29 A.3d at 991. In Horton v. State, 412 Md. 1, 8, 985 A.2d 540, 544 (2009), we reviewed the denial of a petition for DNA testing following Horton's conviction in 1983 for first degree rape, assault with intent to maim, and burglary. As part of the investigation, a rape kit had been collected by hospital personnel, and police had obtained the hospital gown and clothing of the victim, as well as biological evidence from the victim's home. Horton, 412 Md. at 8-9, 985 A.2d at 544. Horton's petition requested production of any physical evidence related to the victim. Horton, 412 Md. at 9, 985 A.2d at 545. The State responded to the petition with an affidavit from the hospital's medical director, stating that the hospital does not retain cytology slides for more than ten years and that the hospital was unable to locate any slides or genetic material from the victim. Horton, 412 Md. at 10, 985 A.2d at 545. Thereafter, the court ordered the hospital to designate a corporate representative to be deposed. Horton, 412 Md. at 11, 985 A.2d at 545. During the deposition, the hospital's attorney stated that because there was no record of the victim ever being treated at the hospital in 1982, there was no way of determining where any relevant biological evidence samples would be located. Horton, 412 Md. at 11, 985 A.2d at 546. The State subsequently filed an additional response including affidavits from a former forensic scientist with the Forensic Biology Unit of the Montgomery County Crime Laboratory and from a supply technician in the Central Property/Evidence Unit of the Montgomery County Police Department. Horton, 412 Md. at 12, 985 A.2d at 546. The affidavits outlined the unsuccessful searches for the requested evidence. Id. The former forensic scientist indicated that in a notice she recovered, evidence related to Horton's case had been approved for destruction in 1986. Id. The supply technician claimed that he discovered a form entitled Receipt for Property; the form indicated that the case was closed, but it did not indicate that the evidence had been destroyed. Horton, 412 Md. at 12-13, 985 A.2d at 546-47. The State's response also included an assertion that it was the practice at the time ... to authorize destruction of evidence [maintained by the Central Property Unit] in a non-capital case once the direct appeal process in a case was concluded. Horton, 412 Md. at 12-13, 985 A.2d at 546. A representative from the State claimed that he had searched unsuccessfully for evidence from Horton's case in the file at the State's Attorney's Office and the file at the Montgomery County Circuit Court. Horton, 412 Md. at 13, 985 A.2d at 547. The Circuit Court file contained letters from the Clerk of the court, dated in 1984, indicating that the physical evidence introduced at Horton's trial was available for release and, if the evidence was not picked up, it would be disposed of `in such a manner as may be appropriate.' Id. The State requested that Horton's petition be dismissed. Id. Horton opposed dismissal, claiming that the search of the hospital had not been exhaustive, as the microbiology department had not been searched. Id. In addition, Horton asserted that the hospital had not granted his request for an interview with someone in the microbiology department and the State had not disclosed the victim's social security number to assist the hospital in conducting a more extensive search for the victim's medical records. Horton, 412 Md. at 13-14, 985 A.2d at 547. In denying Horton's petition, the hearing judge concluded that, based on the evidence presented by the State, there is no reasonable basis to believe that any further investigation is going to lead to discovery of any evidence that could be subjected to any test for DNA. Horton, 412 Md. at 14, 985 A.2d at 548. On review, we held that, although the search performed by the State came very close to complying with the standard set out in Blake I and Arey I, the court should not have dismissed the petition, particularly in light of the narrowly tailored additional areas in which Horton wished to continue the search[.] Horton, 412 Md. at 15, 985 A.2d at 548. We held that the burden of persuasion was on the State, and it had failed to establish, prima facially, that the evidence had actually been destroyed. Horton, 412 Md. at 16, 985 A.2d at 549. Moreover, we held that the hospital had not performed an exhaustive search of all of the places where the evidence might reasonably be located. Horton, 412 Md. at 16-17, 985 A.2d at 549. Therefore, we reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court and remanded the case for further proceedings. Horton, 412 Md. at 18, 985 A.2d at 550.