Opinion ID: 1944516
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Leniency or Threats to Peak

Text: Donald Knowles, the county attorney at the time of Poindexter's trial, testified at Rice's postconviction hearing that Peak was still under the charge of first degree murder at the time of Poindexter's trial. Knowles testified that while Peak's attorney may have broached the subject of the possibility of a plea in juvenile proceedings prior to his testimony in Poindexter's trial, Knowles made no commitment and didn't really comment on it, no discussions as such back and forth. Knowles stated that to his knowledge, neither he nor anyone else made any promises to Peak concerning the ultimate charges against him. Knowles testified that a plea bargain was never struck and that the decision to prosecute Peak as a juvenile took place sometime after Poindexter's trial. Knowles was also questioned about the fact that Peak had originally refused to implicate Poindexter at the preliminary hearing. Knowles remembered that the preliminary hearing was in a very small room that was filled with a lot of people. He stated that he did not have any discussions with Peak's attorney during the recess. Knowles said that Peak's attorney might have said something to him at the door of the courtroom, but that he did not recall. Arthur O'Leary was the special prosecutor working under the direction of Knowles in 1971. O'Leary similarly testified at the Rice hearing that there had been no promises of leniency made to Peak in exchange for his testimony. O'Leary explained that when Peak's attorney had asked him what he would do for Peak, he replied that he would do whatever I could to help him if he cooperated with us. O'Leary stated he did not have the authority to enter into a plea bargain agreement and so Peak's attorney knew better than to ask specifically and I knew better than to answer specifically. O'Leary also stated that a deal would not have been entered into without his knowledge and that, to his knowledge, no deal had been made. O'Leary generally testified that the county attorney's office and the police fully disclosed any evidence pertaining to the case, including police reports and physical evidence. O'Leary testified: We never tried to make a game out of a criminal case. Cooper testified that he was privy to all the police reports in the case and that to his knowledge, the State had not struck any deal with Peak prior to trial in exchange for his testimony. Kenney testified that he and Herzog had suspected a deal and tried everything we could think of to uncover if there was a deal between Peak and the prosecution. Kenney testified, however, that the prosecution and Peak always denied that there was a deal and that he was never able to establish that there was one. Kenney noted that it was no secret that the police had taken Peak to eat in a fancy restaurant at the airport at least one time, allegedly as part of keeping Peak isolated from other prisoners, including Poindexter and Rice.