Opinion ID: 2107127
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Testimony of William Thomas

Text: William Thomas testified with reluctance at the trial of defendant, Roy Diefenderfer. At an early point in the prosecutor's questioning, William invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, saying that he refused to testify because he didn't want to implicate [himself] anymore. After William invoked his privilege against self-incrimination, the prosecutor asked for and was granted a recess so that he could file a petition seeking an immunity hearing before the presiding justice of the Superior Court. An immunity hearing was held the following morning, and the presiding justice granted William immunity with respect to his testimony at defendant's trial, ruling that William's testimony was necessary and material. [6] When defendant's criminal trial resumed, the prosecutor summarized on the record what had occurred at the immunity hearing. [7] He stated that the presiding justice, before granting immunity to William, had informed him that, if he failed to answer questions at defendant's trial after being granted immunity, several actions could be taken against him. The prosecutor added that the presiding justice had warned William that, if he failed to answer questions and was found in contempt, such a finding of contempt could be the basis for a ruling that he was in violation of the conditions of his probation and could potentially result in his being ordered to serve additional time on his suspended sentence. [8] The prosecutor further reported, and the attorney who represented William at the immunity hearing confirmed, that William had been given an opportunity to consult with his lawyer both privately and in court during the course of the immunity proceedings. William's attorney further explained that the presiding justice had indicated that the matter could not be used against him in any Rhode Island jurisdiction, any foreign jurisdiction, state or federal. After the prosecutor had made the above-summarized representations in open court, defendant's attorney requested that he be given in writing any promises, rewards and inducements, any exculpatory evidence    concerning any conversations [which the prosecutor has] had with this potential witness. [9] The defendant's attorney further requested the following: (1) a transcript of the immunity hearing proceedings or a signed copy of the immunity agreement; and (2) a written statement from the prosecutor setting forth both the number of times that the prosecutor met with William and the nature of what was said in any such meeting. In response, the prosecutor orally asserted that there would be no exculpatory evidence relating to defendant in William's proposed testimony. The prosecutor further asserted that the testimony to be elicited from William at defendant's trial would be limited substantively so as to consist solely of the facts surrounding the charges to which William had already pled guilty in September of 2003; he added that a summary of this expected testimony had been provided to defense counsel over one year previously. [10] In addition, the prosecutor stated that William had been given no promise, reward, or inducement for testifying at defendant's trial. [11] He further explained that he had met with William in the cellblock to inform him (1) that the state had subpoenaed him to testify; (2) that he had the right to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination; and (3) that, if he did so, the state would petition the court to grant him immunity. After the prosecutor had made the just-summarized representations, defense counsel again requested that he be provided with a copy of the transcript of the immunity hearing. The trial justice stated that defense counsel already had a transcript of William's plea proceeding, and he found that the state had lived up to its obligation. William then proceeded to testify that he had pled guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, larceny of a firearm, kidnapping, and assault on a person over sixty years of age. He testified that he had received a sentence of ten years to serve. In questioning William about each count, the prosecutor asked him if he had pled guilty to committing the charged crimes with Michael Sparfven, Roy Diefenderfer, and Patricia Diefenderfer. Defense counsel objected to the form of the question with respect to most of these questions concerning the counts to which William had pled guilty. Those objections were overruled. During his testimony, William corroborated many of the details of the robberies concerning which Elaine had already testified. [12] William testified that it was just four days before the robberies took place that he first learned of the robbery scheme and of the fact that they were not opening a legitimate jewelry store. He further testified that defendant became involved in the robbery scheme two days before the April 25 date when the robberies were scheduled to occur. He further testified as to his belief that Mr. Sparfven had planned the robberies because he needed money to make payments on mortgages that he had taken out on the homes of two relatives. [13] William testified at trial that, although he was at first reluctant, it was because of these mortgages and the offer of a payment of $1,500 that defendant agreed to participate in the robberies. He further testified that, before the day of the robberies, he assembled the following supplies: duct tape, zip strips, black nylon stockings, and pepper spray. William testified at trial that, on the day of the robberies, he and defendant were to be stationed in the back room of the jewelry store; the plan was that, when the jewelry salesmen were led to the back room, he and defendant would separate them from their wares and then put the victims into a small closet. His testimony at defendant's trial detailed that he and defendant substantially comported with this plan. He testified that appointments had been made with four different jewelry salesmen for them to come to the jewelry store on the day of the robberies, but that only three actually showed up. [14] His testimony as to the post-robbery flight to Massachusetts with Elaine and their eventual arrest was consistent with Elaine's trial testimony. During the cross-examination of William, defense counsel attempted to question him about criminal activities in which he had allegedly participated with Mr. Sparfven in Florida and Pennsylvania. The trial justice sustained the prosecutor's objections to that line of questioning and refused to hear defense counsel at sidebar, saying that the issue constituted a collateral matter. The trial justice did nonetheless permit William to testify that he had been in the presence of Mr. Sparfven and a man named Kevin in Florida. [15]