Opinion ID: 1427690
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Gale's Motion to Dismiss or Suppress Testimony of the R Family

Text: Gale presents two arguments under this issue. First, he challenges the effect which the GR and LR's juvenile court agreements had on the testimony of the entire R family as violative of his rights to due process. Second, he challenges the substance of the agreements between GR and LR and the state as violative of his rights to due process. We address Gale's sub-issues in reverse order. In his challenge to the substance of the juvenile court agreements, Gale identifies the appropriate standard of due process review as set out in Rochin v. California, 342 U.S. 165, 72 S.Ct. 205, 96 L.Ed. 183 (1961). In Rochin, the Court held that the prosecution violated federal due process when it obtained evidence by conduct that shocks the conscience. Id., 342 U.S. at 172, 72 S.Ct. at 209, 96 L.Ed. at 190. See also Hoffa v. United States, 385 U.S. 293, 87 S.Ct. 408, 17 L.Ed.2d 374 (1966). Gale also refers us to federal case law discussing the propriety of prosecutorial agreements to obtain evidence. See, e.g., United States v. Waterman, 732 F.2d 1527 (8th Cir.1984); Williamson v. United States, 311 F.2d 441 (5th Cir.1962); United States v. Baresh, 595 F. Supp. 1132 (S.D.Texas 1984). As observed by the trial judge in his decision letter, these cases all involve contingency arrangements in which the prosecution conditions its offer to seek sentence reduction or immunity for the defendant upon the defendant's ability to produce evidence leading to the arrest or indictment of another specific individual in criminal activity. Waterman, 732 F.2d at 1529 n. 1, 1530; Williamson, 311 F.2d at 442-45 (illegal contingent fee agreement); Baresh, 595 F. Supp. at 1134. These arguments and citations do not apply to the specific facts of this case. The agreement between LR and the state is not a contingency agreement. That is, it does not condition the grant of immunity given to LR, and apparently to GR, upon their ability to produce evidence that resulted in the arrest, indictment, or conviction of Gale. LR's agreement specifically recited that she would receive immunity from prosecution so long as she testified truthfully concerning her knowledge of Gale's involvement with her children; in terms of her testimony, this is nothing more than her affirmance of the obligation she would be under if the state subpoenaed her as a trial witness. The record is unclear on the exact terms of GR's juvenile court agreement, but Gale admits it did not contain any contingency provisions. This type of agreement between the prosecution and the parents of admittedly abused children is not one that shocks the conscience of this court. Gale fails to cite any precedent for the idea that this type of agreement is somehow per se illegal; and he also fails to refute or distinguish more recent federal case law upholding prosecutorial contingent arrangements and suggesting that the jury, not an appellate court, should determine the credibility of witnesses who are party to prosecution agreements. See United States v. Cervantes-Pacheco, 826 F.2d 310, 312-16 (5th Cir.1987) and cases cited therein. Gale's challenge to the overall effect of the juvenile court agreements as violative of his rights to due process is couched in his argument that this court should invoke an inherent supervisory power to ensure fair conduct from the prosecution in furnishing evidence to the courts. Since we held above that the agreements themselves were not violative of due process it is hard to understand how Gale's speculation as to their effect leads to the conclusion that their existence alone denied him due process. While Gale has set out his theories of how the juvenile court agreements were incentive for R family members to lie, he offers no record evidence in support of those theories or any assertion that his extensive opportunity at trial to cross-examine those witnesses on credibility was undermined. Bald assertions do not take the place of record evidence from which real inferences can be drawn. Cf. Greenwood v. Wierdsma, 741 P.2d 1079, 1086 (Wyo. 1987) (conclusory affidavits in summary judgment proceedings have little or no effect). This court will not substitute itself for the jury simply because Gale wanted certain witnesses to testify in another way; his argument on this issue lacks merit. Newton v. State, 698 P.2d 1149, 1151 (Wyo. 1985).