Opinion ID: 2832711
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Disputed Material Facts

Text: The following evidence, put forth by Tolliver in her § 2255 motion, creates disputes of material fact such that a hearing is necessary before the District Court can address Tolliver’s underlying claim that her trial counsel was constitutionally ineffective.
Tolliver presented evidence that her co-workers Angela Anderson and Linda Carter experienced financial difficulties and asserted that their troubles occurred around the time of the fraud. For instance, exhibits attached to Tolliver’s § 2255 motion show that a foreclosure suit was initiated against Anderson on March 6, 2006 and discontinued on April 3, 2006. The exhibits also show that Discover Bank initiated a suit against Anderson on August 23, 2005 alleging that Anderson owed a balance of $5,944.65; this suit was discontinued on January 12, 2007. Other exhibits attached to Tolliver’s amended § 2255 motion show that Carter was sued by a school district for unpaid school taxes in the amount of $6,164.54. The school district suit against Carter was filed on June 28, 2007, and she satisfied her debt by February 29, 2008. Tolliver argues that this evidence establishes that her co-workers had a stronger motive than she to commit the Citizens Bank fraud.
Tolliver appended affidavits to her § 2255 motion from co-conspirators Miguel Bell and Christopher Russell asserting that they do not know her. Tolliver also submitted affidavits from Cowan (her private investigator), which state 9 that five identified co-conspirators allegedly informed Cowan that they did not know Tolliver (Rashin Owens, Victor O’Connor, Elton Harris, Michael Merin, and Tiffany Brodie), however these individuals either refused or failed to complete an affidavit to that effect.3 Tolliver argues that this evidence establishes that she could not have taken part in the Citizens Bank fraud. However, as the Government argues in its Reply Brief, no one has asserted or established that each of the middle men involved in this fraud was apprehended. Reply Br. at 9. Additionally, nothing in the Bell and Russell affidavits suggests that they necessarily would have known Tolliver if she had been involved in the fraud.
Based on Tolliver’s newly presented evidence, the District Court concluded: 1) that “a reasonable probability clearly exists that, if the jury knew that several of Tolliver’s co-workers, particularly Anderson, had pressing financial needs which Tolliver lacked, it could have changed the 3 To satisfy the prejudice prong of Strickland the movant “must establish a reasonable probability — one sufficient to undermine our confidence in the outcome — that the jury’s verdict would have been different if not for counsel’s errors. Such a showing may not be based on mere speculation about what the witnesses [the attorney] failed to locate might have said.” United States v. Gray, 878 F.2d 702, 712 (3d Cir. 1989) (internal citations omitted). 10 outcome at trial”; and 2) that “it is now clear that not even those identified as ‘insiders’ knew [Tolliver],” a fact that, had it been known by trial counsel, “would have meaningfully strengthened his defense.” Tolliver, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96232, at –9. The problem with these conclusions is that the District Court failed to follow the procedure put forth in § 2255: where there are disputes of material fact, the first step is to hold an evidentiary hearing. Only then, after Tolliver’s factual assertions have been tested, is the District Court in the position to assess the merits of her underlying IAC claim and to grant or deny her § 2255 motion. It was an abuse of discretion for the District Court not to hold a hearing to resolve these disputes before granting Tolliver’s § 2255 motion.4 Booth, 432 F.3d at 546. 4 The District Court did not specifically address Tolliver’s contention that her password was not, in fact, secure and was known by her co-workers, including Anderson. However, at trial, the Government presented evidence that, when interviewed by Swoyer and Busch, Tolliver stated that she complied with Bank policy by not writing down her password and keeping it secret from her coworkers. Tolliver specifically told Swoyer and Busch that she kept a list of her passwords for other programs (e.g., the HR system), but, in keeping with the Bank’s policy, did not write down her password for accessing customer data. Additionally, as the District Court noted when it denied Tolliver’s post-trial motion for acquittal, “all of Defendant’s former co-workers who testified at trial stated that they did not know Defendant’s password.” App. at 52. This is an additional disputed material fact that must be addressed at an 11