Opinion ID: 1989359
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Motion of Porter and Nelson for a New Trial

Text: Appellants Porter and Nelson filed motions for new trial based on a claim of newly discovered evidence. The claimed newly discovered evidence was based upon a letter from co-defendant Alston in which he claimed that Nelson and Porter had nothing to do with these charges. At a hearing on the motions, Alston testified that while he was negotiating a drug deal with Hylton and another man, his friend, Andre, and his cousin, Joseph Houston, came from different directions and drew guns. Alston testified that he decided to join in and took a pager from Hylton and that Andre shot Mbaye, and Houston shot Hylton. He testified that he ran away afterwards and that neither Nelson nor Porter were involved. Detective Leech testified at the hearing that Alston had provided a statement after the shooting in which he did not mention Andre or Houston and in fact indicated that he saw Porter at the top of the hill as he was running from the scene. The detective also testified that Nelson stated that he had been with Alston playing basketball at the Kennedy playground when they heard gunshots. Concluding that the evidence would probably not produce an acquittal for Porter or Nelson, the trial court denied the motion. A new trial may be granted if required in the interest of justice. Super. Ct. Civ. R. 33. To succeed on a motion for new trial based upon a claim of newly discovered evidence, the movant must show that: (1) the evidence is newly discovered; (2) the moving party was diligent in seeking to obtain the evidence; (3) the evidence is material to the issues involved and not merely cumulative or impeaching; and (4) it is of a nature that it would probably produce an acquittal. Prophet v. United States, 707 A.2d 775, 778 (D.C. 1998); Byers v. United States, 649 A.2d 279, 287 (D.C.1994) (citation omitted). Where the claimed newly discovered evidence consists of the testimony of a former co-defendant who remained silent at an earlier trial and seeks after conviction to assume the entire blame, we have cautioned the trial court to scrutinize such evidence with great care. Prophet, 707 A.2d at 778 (citing United States v. Jacobs, 475 F.2d 270, 286 n.33 (2d Cir.1973)). That is because, at that point, the co-defendant `has little to fear in attempting to exculpate others involved in the offense by assuming the entire blame.' Id. (citing Byers, 649 A.2d at 287). However, each case must be judged on its own particular facts. Id. The decision to grant or deny a motion for a new trial is within the trial court's discretion, and we review the trial court's decision for an abuse of discretion. Id. (citation omitted). With these principles in mind, we consider the challenge to the trial court's ruling on the motions for new trial. In this case, the trial court based its ruling on the fourth factor listed above, concluding that the proffered evidence was not likely to produce an acquittal. We find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's ruling. As previously stated, the evidence of the guilt of Nelson and Porter was quite strong. The surviving victim, Hylton, who had a good opportunity to observe his assailants, picked both Nelson and Porter from a photo array and identified both at trial. One witness, Ms. Williams, testified that Porter, Nelson and Alston ran past her right after the shootings. Another witness, Ms. Fletcher, who was sitting with Ms. Williams that evening, identified Porter as one of the people who ran by and described the other as wearing plats, a hairstyle consistent with the way that Nelson wore his hair at the time. Porter's fingerprint was found on the weapon recovered at the scene, which is powerful evidence against him. Alston's prior inconsistent statement concerning the events that night could be used to impeach him at any new trial, along with his conviction for the offenses in this case. In his earlier statement, Alston said that he was just entering the park when the shots were fired and that he saw Porter at the top of the hill, while he now claims that only he among this group participated in the crimes, and he did not know Porter's whereabouts that evening. Given the strength of the government's case and that Alston's credibility would be seriously undermined by impeaching evidence, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in concluding that the evidence would probably not produce an acquittal and in denying the motions for new trial. See Prophet, supra, 707 A.2d at 778 (citations omitted).