Opinion ID: 158597
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Due process/Brady claim

Text: 12 We turn to Ms. Gomez's argument that the government's destruction of the marijuana evidence without prior notice to her violates her due process rights. She characterizes her claim both as a failure to disclose material, exculpatory evidence under the standards articulated in Brady v. Maryland, and as a bad faith failure to preserve evidence that could have been potentially useful to her defense. 13 First, we do not believe her claim is properly characterized as a Brady claim. As we have previously stated, [t]he Supreme Court's jurisprudence divides cases involving nondisclosure of evidence into two distinct universes. Brady and its progeny address exculpatory evidence still in the government's possession. [Arizona v. Youngblood, 488 U.S. 51, 58 (1988))] and [California v. Trombetta, 467 U.S. 479 (1984)] govern cases in which the government no longer possesses the disputed evidence. Fero v. Kerby, 39 F.3d 1462, 1472 (10th Cir. 1994) (quoting United States v. Femia, 9 F.3d 990, 993 (1st Cir. 1993)). Here, the government admits that the evidence was no longer in its possession. Therefore, Ms. Gomez's claim is more properly treated under the Youngblood/Trombetta line of cases. 14 In order to establish a due process violation under Trombetta, Ms. Gomez must show that the marijuana evidence had exculpatory significance that would have been apparent before its destruction, and that it was of such a nature that the defendant would be unable to obtain comparable evidence by other reasonably available means. See Trombetta, 467 U.S. at 488. She has failed to show that its exculpatory significance would have been apparent. Instead, as the district court properly determined, Ms. Gomez has established only that the evidence was potentially useful to her defense. See Rec. vol. II, at 17. In order to establish a due process violation with respect to potentially useful evidence, Ms. Gomez must show that the government acted in bad faith in destroying it. See United States v. Bohl, 25 F.3d 904, 910 (10th Cir. 1994) (citing Youngblood, 488 U.S. at 58). Here, the district court concluded that the government did not act in bad faith. We review that conclusion for clear error. See United States v. Parker, 72 F.3d 1444, 1450 (10th Cir. 1995). 15 Ms. Gomez argues that because the government knew on April 4, 1997 that it would seek a later indictment against her, its failure to provide her notice before destroying the drugs shows its bad faith. As support for her argument that the government knew it would seek a later indictment, she refers to a United States Attorney's duty report from the date of her initial detention. She characterizes that report as showing that she had been affiliated with the load and had been released with the intention of indicting at a later date. The district court accepted this characterization as accurate, see Rec. vol. II, at 8-9, but declined to find that it established bad faith. See id. at 17. 16 We do not find the existence of such a report sufficient to show the district court's conclusion was clearly erroneous. As the government pointed out, it destroyed the marijuana pursuant to its ordinary statutory procedures, before Ms. Gomez had even been indicted. See 21 U.S.C. § 881(f)(2), 19 C.F.R. § 162.45a (Treasury Reg.); 28 C.F.R. § 50.21 (Department of Justice Reg.). That is, the first indicted co-defendant, Mr. Bravo-Aguilar, was indicted on April 4, 1997. That same day, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) gave the United States Attorney notice that, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881(f)(2), it would destroy the drug evidence 60 days from the date of notification (as required by 28 C.F.R. § 50.21). Accordingly, on June 3, 1997, the DEA destroyed the bulk of the drugs. Ms. Gomez was not indicted by superseding indictment until the next day, June 4, 1997, after the marijuana had already been destroyed and it was no longer possible to give her prior notice. Although the government points out that it retained nearly one kilogram of samples, as required by 28 C.F.R. § 50.21(e)(4), this does not address Ms. Gomez's primary concern, which was with the total weight of the marijuana as it related to her sentencing. 17 Surprisingly, we have found no statutory or regulatory requirement nor have the parties provided us any that defendants or potential defendants, against whom the soon-to-be-destroyed evidence is to be used, be given notice of the destruction. Ms. Gomez points to 21 U.S.C. § 883, which instructs the DEA to give notice to the possessor of seized contraband and an opportunity for a hearing prior to reporting the criminal violation to a United States Attorney. That scenario, however, is not raised in this case. 18 The established procedure seems not to require notice, and in most cases, destruction of evidence in accordance with an established procedure precludes a finding of bad faith absent other compelling evidence. United States v. Deaner, 1 F.3d 192, 202 (3d Cir. 1993). There is no such evidence here the United States Attorney's duty report does not rise to that level. The government should consider modifying its drug destruction procedures to avoid such issues of timing in the future. Nevertheless, in the absence of more compelling evidence, we find no bad faith, and thus no due process violation.