Opinion ID: 1920952
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Motion to Depose

Text: Doorbal next asserts that the trial court erroneously denied his motion to depose the assistant state attorneys (ASAs) who were involved in Doorbal's criminal trial. Doorbal contends that he had good cause to depose the ASAs because during postconviction discovery, Doorbal located an email from ASA Gail Levine to her supervisor that indicated the State was aware that Schiller was under investigation for Medicare fraud. [6] Therefore, Doorbal contends that, during the trial, the State both withheld exculpatory Brady [7] evidence (i.e., that Schiller was guilty of Medicare fraud) and committed a Giglio [8] violation because it allowed Schiller to falsely testify that he was not guilty of Medicare fraud. Doorbal asserts that deposition of the ASAs was necessary to reveal additional evidence of the claim. In response, the State asserts that no Brady or Giglio violation ever occurred, and, therefore, Doorbal is neither entitled to relief on his claim of such violations, nor can he demonstrate that the trial court abused its discretion when it denied the motion to depose. Since the validity of the motion to depose hinges on whether a Giglio or Brady violation occurred during the trial, and because Doorbal asserts that the summary denial of the Giglio and Brady claims was error, we review the history of the proceedings in this case with regard to the purported involvement of Marc Schiller in Medicare fraud. History During the guilt phase of Doorbal's trial, in response to questioning, Marc Schiller denied that he was guilty of Medicare fraud. After Doorbal was convicted, Schiller subsequently returned to the United States from Colombia to testify at the Spencer [9] hearing with regard to how the crimes committed against him have impacted his life. Prior to the testimony, the State informed the Court and the attorneys at sidebar that officers from the federal government were outside the courthouse, and when Schiller finished his testimony, he would be taken into federal custody on charges of Medicare fraud. Doorbal subsequently filed a motion for new trial in which he contended that the State had failed to disclose the federal investigation and pending criminal charges against Schiller. Doorbal alleged that during the penalty phase, the State made references to the Schiller kidnapping as a substantial aggravator and that had knowledge of a pending federal indictment against Schiller been known, it could have been presented to the jury and would have had a substantial impact on whether the prior violent felony aggravator weighed in its decision. During the hearing on the motion for new trial, the court asked counsel for codefendant Mese: Do you have any evidence that the State knew, never mind suspecting I think that everyone suspected Schiller was being investigated. Everybody knew that Delgado was being investigated. How could Delgado be investigated and his partner not be investigated. That denies [sic] logic. I think everyone suspected that. The trial court asked counsel for codefendant Lugo what information demonstrated that the State knew Schiller had lied when he testified that he was not guilty of Medicare fraud. Counsel for Lugo responded that he could not know until he deposed ASA Levine. The trial court asked whether the defense would find that the State had evidence or knowledge that Schiller was guilty of federal crimesthe court recognized that everyone involved with the trial suspected that Schiller was being investigated and was involved. The trial court then noted that Schiller had been impeached by Delgado, who stated that Schiller was involved in criminal conduct. The court then reasoned that even if Schiller knew he was under investigation, he was not required to admit guilt. Also, this testimony occurred during a trial and the cross-examination process is specifically for the purpose of weeding out whether someone is lying under oath. The trial court then afforded ASA Levine the opportunity to speak with regard to the allegations. She stated: I have absolutely no information about the Federal investigation except for the fact that they were speaking to Mr. Delgado and Mr. Delgado was telling me that he committed the Medicare Fraud with Mr. Schiller and those were the conversations I had and that I shared with the Federal Government that they knew, which made Mr. Schiller in my mind, what I knew was the same thing that the defense knew exactly. The trial court ultimately held that no violation occurred and noted that, even if such a violation had occurred, there was no evidence that the violation was intentional. After Doorbal's conviction was affirmed, and during postconviction discovery, Doorbal located the e-mail from ASA Levine to her supervisor that prompted Doorbal to file the motion to depose. The trial court ultimately concluded that good cause did not exist to depose the ASAs based upon the e-mail: [T]he defense all throughout the trial was saying that they were certain that he was under investigation, that they felt that the State knew that he was under investigation, that they felt that he knew that he was under investigation. I don't know how if he did or didn't, how can the defense come in and say, claim surprise.