Opinion ID: 1403222
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: State's Destruction of Evidence

Text: The Appellant also contends that the State destroyed certain materials, including some pieces of white paper with phone numbers and some photographs believed to be the property of the Appellant. These items had been in the possession of Ms. Debra Stewart, Mr. Hicks' mother, and had been obtained by the police when they went to Ms. Stewart's home to retrieve the knife and lighter believed to have been used in the commission of the crime. [8] On December 13, 2007, the Appellant filed a motion to dismiss the indictment on the basis of this destruction of evidence, and a hearing was thereafter conducted by the trial court. During the hearing, State Trooper Don Kitzmiller testified that these items had been discarded because they lacked evidentiary value. Subsequent to argument of the defense counsel that the case should be dismissed based upon the State's improper destruction of evidence, the trial court inquired regarding the possible relevance of the items seized that were thrown away or destroyed by Sergeant Kitzmiller. [9] Counsel for the Appellant responded to the trial court's question and explained that he did not have knowledge regarding exactly what those photographs or pieces of paper regarded. The trial court then questioned the efficacy of dismissing a murder indictment even though defense counsel could not identify any evidentiary value in the pieces of white paper or photographs. The trial court ultimately concluded that the Appellant's defense had not been affected or prejudiced in any manner by the destruction of the contents of that plastic bag. The trial court found no evidentiary value in the destroyed materials and found no evidence that inculpatory or exculpatory evidence was included. In Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), the United States Supreme Court expressed the principle that suppression by the State of evidence favorable to an accused is violative of due process if the evidence is deemed material to the accused's guilt or punishment. 373 U.S. at 87, 83 S.Ct. 1194. Similarly, in syllabus point four of State v. Hatfield, 169 W.Va. 191, 286 S.E.2d 402 (1982), this Court explained: A prosecution that withholds evidence which if made available would tend to exculpate an accused by creating a reasonable doubt as to his guilt violates due process of law under Article III, Section 14 of the West Virginia Constitution. This Court addressed this issue subsequently in State v. Youngblood, 221 W.Va. 20, 650 S.E.2d 119 (2007), and observed that although Brady addressed only exculpatory evidence, the principle had ultimately been expanded to include impeachment evidence. 221 W.Va. at 28, 650 S.E.2d at 127. The components of a due process violation under Brady were articulated as follows in syllabus point two of Youngblood: There are three components of a constitutional due process violation under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), and State v. Hatfield, 169 W.Va. 191, 286 S.E.2d 402 (1982):(1) the evidence at issue must be favorable to the defendant as exculpatory or impeachment evidence; (2) the evidence must have been suppressed by the State, either willfully or inadvertently; and (3) the evidence must have been material, i.e., it must have prejudiced the defense at trial. Suppressed evidence is considered material only if there is a reasonable probability that the result of the proceeding would have been different if the evidence had been disclosed. 221 W.Va. at 32, 650 S.E.2d at 131. In pertinent part of syllabus point two of State v. Osakalumi, 194 W.Va. 758, 461 S.E.2d 504 (1995), this Court addressed the remedy to be selected by a trial court for violations of a duty to preserve evidence, as follows: In determining what consequences should flow from the State's breach of its duty to preserve evidence, a trial court should consider (1) the degree of negligence or bad faith involved; (2) the importance of the missing evidence considering the probative value and reliability of secondary or substitute evidence that remains available; and (3) the sufficiency of the other evidence produced at the trial to sustain the conviction. Upon review by this Court, we find no error in the trial court's refusal to dismiss the indictment on the basis of this destruction of evidence. The degree of negligence involved is minimal, to the extent that the police officer testified that the materials in question were of no value or relevance to the criminal investigation. Further, there is no indication that the materials were important to the investigation or that the result of the proceedings would have been different had those materials been available. The other evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support the jury's conviction of the Appellant. We find that this assignment of error is without merit.