Opinion ID: 359021
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Co-defendant Informer

Text: 3 If Disston's co-defendant was a Government informer, and if he obtained information prejudicial to Disston or regarding Disston's trial strategy which he then transferred to the Government, Disston's conviction should be reversed. See Caldwell v. United States, 92 U.S.App.D.C. 355, 205 F.2d 879 (1953). The newly discovered evidence on which Disston bases his claim for relief indicates at least that Camp had met with Government agents and provided them with some information. 3 Although the evidence is sufficient to label Camp an informer, it does not suggest that Camp provided the Government with any information that might prejudice Disston's trial. 4 This, however, does not exonerate the Government Vis-a-vis Disston, because the Government never disclosed Camp's informer status and thus the district court was never apprised of the scope of Camp's relationship with the Government. That Camp was a Government informer during the same general time period that he was tried with Disston, and that the Government failed to disclose this fact, at least raises an issue of whether his relationship with the Government may have prejudiced Disston. A determination of this issue requires more facts and, therefore, an evidentiary hearing is appropriate. If the information Camp gave the Government was irrelevant to the Camp-Disston trial and could not have prejudiced Disston, then the fact that Camp and Disston were tried together would not constitute reversible error. 4 5