Opinion ID: 2569336
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Four Newly Discovered Letters.

Text: The four letters revealed in discovery during federal habeas proceedings form the basis for Sivak's present petition. The first is a May 7, 1981 letter from Harris to the Idaho County prosecutor. Based on Leytham's cooperation in three murder cases, Harris wrote, [I]t would be my request that charges against Mr. Leytham in Idaho County, relating to the escape above mentioned, be dismissed by your office. Harris continued, I do believe that based on the fact that Mr. Leytham will obviously not be sentenced to the State Penitentiary (based on his willingness to testify against these individuals), justice will be served adequately without proceeding further on the escape charge pending in your jurisdiction. The second is a May 12, 1981 letter from Harris to the Pardon and Parole Commission. Harris recommended that Leytham receive additional consideration for parole at his May 20, 1981 parole hearing, based on his cooperation in the Sivak, Bainbridge, and Crispin cases. Harris stated that Leytham had testified for the prosecution in the preliminary hearing on the Wilson murder case and would testify at trial. The third is a July 13, 1981 letter from Leytham attempting to obtain money from Jerry Brown, evidently a Kansas prosecutor. In it, Leytham wrote, Vaughn [Killeen, investigator for the Ada County Prosecutor] told me you are in the same position Idaho is in. They say they will help me when I get out but don't do any thing about it. The fourth is a July 27, 1981 letter from Vaughn Killeen to Leytham. Killeen had received a copy of Leytham's July 13 letter to Brown. Killeen chided Leytham for his attempt to get paid for his testimony, stating: If you recall you had information regarding the Bainbridge-Sivak case and you approached me about a deal. I informed you we couldn't make deals but if you desired to testify I would attempt to do something for you but there would be no guarantees.... [Leytham's testimony in the Sivak, Bainbridge, and Crispin cases] enable[d] us to make the arrangements which were specifically; the dismissing of criminal charges against you in two jurisdictions, a reduction in sentence and a parole from the Idaho State Correctional Institute. Killeen then noted, Without our intervention you would still be in prison with other pending criminal charges against you.