Opinion ID: 383717
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Informant's Identity

Text: 49 As his final assignment of error, Whitney argues that the district court should have granted the motion to reveal the informant's identity. The test for determining whether an informant's identity should be revealed has been set forth in Roviaro v. United States, 353 U.S. 53, 77 S.Ct. 623, 1 L.Ed.2d 639 (1957). The test established by Roviaro is a balancing test, which, while recognizing the government's legitimate interest in protecting the confidentiality of an informant because disclosure of identity frequently terminates an informant's usefulness, nonetheless requires a balancing of the public interest in protecting the flow of information against the individual's right to prepare his defense. Id. at 62, 77 S.Ct. at 628. If the identity of an informant is relevant and helpful to the defense, or is essential to a fair determination of the case, the right of the government to withhold an informant's identity must give way. Id. at 60-61, 77 S.Ct. at 657. 50 It is the burden of a defendant to demonstrate the need for disclosure. United States v. Marshall, 532 F.2d 1279 (9th Cir. 1976). In this case, Whitney argues that the informant was an essential witness for the reason that he is claimed to have seen appellant in possession of heroin at both the S.W. 64th St. and the N. Maryland residences, and is thus the only witness able to testify to the crime of possession. It is clear from a review of the facts, however, that the government predicated its case on the heroin seized from the camera lens and the appellant's fingerprints on the film pack next to the heroin, and not on eyewitness testimony. The extent of the informant's usefulness in this case was for the establishment of probable cause for issuance of a search warrant whereby the physical evidence was seized. Whitney's assertion that identification of the informant was somehow essential to the preparation of his defense, especially as the informant's knowledge tended to be inculpatory, simply does not bear scrutiny. The appellant has failed to show an abuse by the trial court of the discretion vested in it by Roviaro to withhold or reveal the identity of an informant in consideration of all facts and circumstances then known. As there has been no clear showing of abuse of discretion by the trial court, we think its decision must be affirmed. 51 Having addressed and rejected each assignment of error, we conclude that the convictions below must be 52 AFFIRMED.