Opinion ID: 732905
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Storage Facility Document

Text: 10 Donovan's allegation regarding the storage facility document requires some background information. At trial, the government attempted to show that Vincent Donovan and Rick Kizel had stored cocaine in a van placed in a storage shed they were renting. The government introduced documents of the Milwaukee Self Storage facility reflecting that both men had visited that facility on February 22, 1989. In addition, Kizel testified that the van belonged to Donovan. After trial, however, Vincent Donovan obtained one storage facility document that the government did not obtain or introduce. Signed by Kizel, the document states that Kizel entered the storage facility on February 22, 1989 in a red or brown Dodge van bearing Wisconsin license number VDT 941. Donovan now claims that this document exculpates him from charges that he was the van owner; although he did own a van, he contends that it was not a Dodge and its license number was BDP 941, not VDT 941. 11 The district court rejected this claim based primarily upon the second prong of the test for newly discovered evidence. As the court observed, the storage facility document was available to the defense well before trial. Kept at a private facility, the document could have been discovered earlier through the exercise of due diligence. In addition, there is nothing new about the storage facility information; Kizel had already testified at trial to the van's description. The district court properly rejected this claim. 12