Opinion ID: 1224487
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Parties' Motions

Text: The parties have filed motions on a variety of questions. We have resolved the various motions by separate order. But before addressing the substantive PRP issues, we mention some of the motions here only because of their possible significance in future cases.
The State moves to unseal Gentry's motions for authorization of expenses necessary to conduct an investigation. Gentry asked that the motions be sealed under GR 15(c)(2)(B), which allows the sealing of files and records under compelling circumstances where justice so requires. This requirement of compelling circumstances stems from the constitutional preference for open administration of justice. WASH. CONST. art. I, § 22 (amend.10). The Constitution itself requires the proponent of closure or sealing to make a showing of a compelling interest; where that interest is based on a right other than the accused's right to a fair trial, the proponent must show a serious and imminent threat to that right. State v. Bone-Club, 128 Wash.2d 254, 258, 906 P.2d 325 (1995). Gentry seems to contend that sealing his motions is necessary to protect his right to a fair trial, or, in this case, retrial upon remand; he relies on a California case involving an ex parte motion for appointment of a second trial counsel in a capital case. See Keenan v. Superior Court, 31 Cal.3d 424, 180 Cal.Rptr. 489, 640 P.2d 108 (1982) (noting state law appropriately allows such motions to be filed ex parte). But Gentry is not now seeking appointment of trial counsel; his conviction and sentence are final. The State is already aware of Gentry's defense to the charge and his theory of the case; those matters therefore cannot be prematurely disclosed. Gentry may be concerned the State will use, in a retrial, any unfavorable evidence he might discover, but the evidence itself would not be revealed simply by unsealing Gentry's motions. The State would learn only the avenues of investigation his current counsel are pursuing. Gentry seems to ignore the fact he is seeking discovery in order to obtain facts tending to establish his conviction or sentence should be vacated. Surely he does not believe a court would grant such relief without giving the State an opportunity to test, in an adversarial hearing, whatever evidence his planned investigation produces. Gentry has not shown his right to a fair trial is imperiled or sealing the motions is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to any other compelling interest. The motions should not have been sealed.
Gentry has filed numerous motions for discovery. He has asked to depose former Kitsap County Prosecutor C. Danny Clem and several Kitsap and Pierce County deputy prosecutors; to subpoena documents relating to Hicks' prosecutions; for appointment of an investigator and an expert; for payment for portions of the transcripts in other cases; and for payment of expenses counsel incurred traveling to Idaho to interview Dyste. Gentry claims to have a constitutional right to discovery, apparently tied to his rights to counsel and to due process. He is mistaken on both counts. There is no constitutional right to counsel in postconviction proceedings, nor to an investigator's assistance, even if the death penalty has been imposed. Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 752, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991). [3] From a due process standpoint, prisoners seeking postconviction relief are not entitled to discovery as a matter of ordinary course, but are limited to discovery only to the extent the prisoner can show good cause to believe the discovery would prove entitlement to relief. [4] Bracy v. Gramley, 520 U.S. 899, 117 S.Ct. 1793, 138 L.Ed.2d 97, 103 (1997). As the Ninth Circuit recently held, there is simply no federal right, constitutional or otherwise, to discovery in habeas proceedings as a general matter. Campbell v. Blodgett, 982 F.2d 1356, 1358 (9th Cir.1993) (upholding the denial of Campbell's request for discovery regarding Dodd's execution); see Spencer v. Hopper, 243 Ga. 532, 255 S.E.2d 1 (1979) (no right to appointment of experts or investigators in habeas corpus proceedings, even in death penalty cases). Gentry attempts to find additional support for his requests in Justice O'Connor's opinion in a case construing a federal statute, McFarland v. Scott, 512 U.S. 849, 859, 114 S.Ct. 2568, 129 L.Ed.2d 666 (1994). Justice O'Connor's opinion is a concurrence/dissent, however, in a case involving interpretation of a federal statute inapplicable to state court proceedings. Moreover, the case did not involve a request for discovery or appointment of an investigator or expert. There is currently no rule for discovery at the appellate court level, however, either to further support the allegations in a PRP as filed or to obtain evidence to support new claims. [5] But we have inherent power to issue ... all other writs necessary and proper to the complete exercise of its ... jurisdiction. CONST. art. IV, § 4. Pursuant to such authority of the courts, RAP 16.15(h) authorizes appointment of counsel in PRPs, and allows for the payment of such other expenses as may be necessary to consider the petition in the appellate court. We believe discovery may be allowed under this rule only in rare circumstances where the petitioner can demonstrate a substantial likelihood the discovery will lead to evidence that would compel relief under RAP 16.4(c). Claims must be specific to petitioner's own case. Further, while RCW 10.73.150(3) provides for the appointment of counsel at state expense for indigents to pursue collateral attacks on death sentence verdicts, it does not authorize public funds for investigators in such cases. Gentry claims CrR 3.1, incorporated into the appellate rules by RAP 16.15(f), mandates the appointment of an investigator at public expense. But CrR 3.1 is permissive, not mandatory: Upon finding the services [of an investigator] are necessary and that the defendant is financially unable to obtain them, the court, or a person or agency delegated by local court rule shall authorize the services. CrR 3.1(f)(2). There was no such finding in this case. There are few published decisions involving requests for appointment of investigators or experts in connection with postconviction proceedings. Two courts have held that an expert should be appointed to perform DNA testing if the defendant consistently maintained his innocence, the victim's identification testimony was challenged, and the testing could conclusively prove the defendant's innocence. Jones v. Wood, 114 F.3d 1002, 1009 (9th Cir.1997); Commonwealth v. Reese, 444 Pa.Super. 38, 663 A.2d 206, 208-09 (1995). But none of these cases authorize either discovery such as depositions, or the appointment of investigators or experts to identify or develop grounds for challenging convictions or sentences. They merely allow the defendant to interview known witnesses or to obtain or test existing evidence in the government's possession. They also require a showing there is reason to believe a specific discovery request will support a particular, identified claim for relief. We note in this case Gentry has not established a basis for discovery and appointment of experts. Gentry first wants to retain Dr. Stephen Cummings to conduct a psychological evaluation because he believes Dr. Cummings could determine whether Gentry suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder or other similar condition at the time of the offense arising from Gentry, when a young boy, witnessing his mother kill his father. Even if he could do so, that conclusion is not grounds for relief because it is not tied to a particular legal claim. Moreover, Dr. Cummings provides no concrete reason to believe Gentry suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder at the time of the murder. According to Dr. Cummings' declaration, children who witness traumatic events are susceptible to posttraumatic stress disorder, which can cause significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. Dr. Cummings also states persons with the disorder can experience recurrent intrusive memories of the trauma and disassociate for periods of time during which they behave as though experiencing the traumatic event. He does not say that all witnesses to trauma develop the disorder. And conspicuously absent from the record is an affidavit from Gentry himself claiming to have suffered disassociation, recurrent nightmares, or any of the other symptoms mentioned by Dr. Cummings. Additionally, several witnesses who testified at the penalty phase said the family did not talk about Gentry's father's death. They also testified Jonathan was a quiet child, not very outgoing, who was kind and nice. No witness suggested Gentry suffered from the symptoms described by Dr. Cummings. [6] Gentry's counsel want to examine Gentry's school and criminal records in an effort to locate anything that could have been presented in mitigation. This investigation is not in aid of an identified claim, nor do counsel state any reason to believe they will find anything to support a claim for relief. Gentry's counsel also requested funds to go to Idaho to interview Dyste, apparently in the hope that he would admit that he was paid to testify against Gentry. They have since taken that trip, for which they now seek reimbursement. Their failure to provide us a statement from Dyste indicates he did not, in fact, provide them with any helpful information. Gentry's attorneys also want to depose various Kitsap and Pierce County Prosecuting Attorneys, apparently about Dyste or other informants, and to continue their investigation of detective Wright. Some of these persons have already submitted affidavits. Most, if not all, of the others could be interviewed and asked to provide written statements. Gentry has not, in any event, shown that deposing any of these persons is likely to support any identified claim for relief. In summary, Gentry fails to establish a basis to support his request for discovery or appointment of an investigator or additional experts. His requests do not allege a specific connection to legal theories he advances, evidencing only a speculative relationship to his theories. We deny Gentry's motions for discovery and appointment of investigators or experts as we will not condone a fishing expedition to pore over every aspect of the case, no matter how minute or insubstantial the connection to the claims advanced.
Gentry moves to supplement the record with various materials his attorneys discovered in their postconviction investigation. Counsel apparently spent a great deal of time investigating Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff Douglas Wright. From old newspaper stories, they learned Wright was terminated from another police job in 1977 because of his involvement in the investigation of a close friend. They apparently want to include these records, and part of the transcript on the related criminal prosecution of Wright's friend, in the record for this case. Counsel also have evidence Wright made false statements in support of a search warrant in another criminal case; and a fellow officer recently signed an affidavit questioning his veracity. Gentry claims this evidence will enable him to show Wright lied in the search warrant application for the Gentry home. Gentry moved to suppress the evidence found in his brother's house on the ground Wright lied in the search warrant application. The trial court heard testimony on that issue from Wright and others and found Wright had not lied, but that even if he had, excising the assertedly false statements from the warrant did not render it invalid. We affirmed both of these holdings, and specifically agreed with the trial court that the warrant was valid even if the assertedly false statements are excised from the application. State v. Gentry, 125 Wash.2d at 605-07, 888 P.2d 1105. The additional evidence Gentry offers regarding Wright's veracity would not alter that outcome. Gentry also wants to supplement the record with portions of the transcript of the federal habeas hearing in the Lord v. Wood, No. C94-464R (United States Dist. Ct. W.D. Wash.), the federal habeas corpus action involving convicted murderer Brian Lord. See State v. Lord, 117 Wash.2d 829, 822 P.2d 177 (1991), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 856, 113 S.Ct. 164, 121 L.Ed.2d 112 (1992). In the part of the record at issue, a witness testified that Sonny Belgarde, one of the informants against Lord, testified under a deal with Kitsap County Prosecutor Clem. [7] Although Belgarde was not a witness against Gentry, counsel claim this evidence supports their theory the Kitsap County prosecutor's office regularly gives deals to informants, and therefore also gave deals to the informants in Gentry's case. This theory is wholly speculative. All of the informants against Gentry have denied any deals existed, as have the prosecutors and police officers involved. Showing that a different informant was given a deal would not impeach that evidence or prove that these informants were given deals. We deny Gentry's motions to supplement the record.