Opinion ID: 726087
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Disposition Upon Remand

Text: 66 A motion to suppress based upon the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine poses a procedural problem arising from the government's limited duty to disclose under the provisions of Fed.R.Crim.Proc. 16. For example, the government has no duty to identify witnesses or their anticipated testimony. Nonetheless, Rule 12(b)(3) requires a defendant to file motions to suppress prior to trial. 67 In this case Leake's counsel anticipated the problem of attempting to identify evidence not known to the defense by filing a motion which sought disclosure of all evidence the government intended to offer in support of the conspiracy counts of the indictment. Specifically, the motion requested the following: 68 1. An order compelling the government to provide an inventory of all physical evidence that it intended to use in its case in chief so the defendant could raise Rule 12(b)(3) objections to the same; 69 2. An order compelling the government to furnish the source of all evidence that may be identified as untainted; 70 3. A hearing for purposes of determining whether the subject evidence was derived from an untainted source; and 71 4. An order suppressing all tainted evidence, including evidence suppressible under the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine. 72 (J.A. at 134). The government responded in considerable detail but did not make a complete disclosure. For instance, the response included a section titled Other Evidence which stated: 73 The United States, of course, will introduce other evidence against Charles Leake. For example, co-conspirators not appearing on [Robin] Grimes' list likely will testify. Clearly, the United States did not discover their existence as a result of the unconstitutional search. Likewise, they were not motivated to plead and cooperate by evidence seized during that search. No evidence seized during that search implicated these co-conspirators in any way. Accordingly, their testimony is admissible. 74 The United States will also introduce the phone records of Leake, O'Daniel and others. The United States would have subpoenaed O'Daniel's phone records upon learning of his role as leader of the organization. The United States learned of this information primarily through Atkinson. Accordingly, the United States would have obtained these records totally independent of the Leake search. 75 The United States subpoenaed Leake's phone records upon learning of his role in the organization. The United States would have discovered that role regardless of the search. Upon learning of Leake's role in the organization, whether from O'Daniel or from another source, the United States immediately would have subpoenaed Leake's phone records. To exclude the phone records would place the United States in a worse position than if the search had not occurred. The Court should admit these records. 76 (Docket 229). 77 The issue arising with the reversal and remand is whether the government, by filing a new notice of the evidence it intends to introduce, can compel the defendant to file another motion to suppress on the basis of the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine, so as to preserve the government's right to an interlocutory appeal under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 3731. 22 78 The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure together with 18 U.S.C. § 3731 provide a balanced approach to the practical problems that arise in trial practice with respect to suppression motion practice in federal court. As indicated previously, motions to suppress must be made prior to trial. This rule recognizes that resolution of the motion frequently is case dispositive, as well as the fact that a pretrial ruling preserves the government's right to take an interlocutory appeal and avoid the impact of double jeopardy if the district court erred in granting the motion to suppress. Conversely, as in this case, following an adverse ruling on a motion to suppress and with the acquiescence of the government, a defendant may enter a conditional plea of guilty and preserve the right of appeal. 79 In this case, the government chose to limit its revelations as to the evidence it intended to use. It thus limited the opportunity of the defendant and the court to determine if the evidence and testimony was admissible in the context of the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine. 80 In our view, it would be unfair to provide the government a second chance to require the defendant to test the admissibility of the government's evidence by a Rule 12(b)(3) motion to suppress. The government had a full opportunity to make its case at the first suppression hearing. Allowing another round of suppression motions would add even more life to this case arising from events occurring in 1987 and 1988. The court and the parties have legitimate interests in closure which are best served by this case proceeding to trial. 81 In holding that the defendant cannot be forced to file a second motion to suppress on the basis of the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine, we recognize that the trial may be protracted. The district court will be required to allow the defendant to contest evidence during the trial not previously disclosed. We leave it to the district court to develop a method for resolving issues related to undisclosed evidence. It may be that the trial of the defendant will result in another appeal. Based on the record in that case, this court may be in a better position, in the exercise of its supervisory powers, to establish an orderly procedure to adjudicate the handling of a motion to suppress based on the claim that the evidence being offered is fruit of the poisonous tree. 23