Opinion ID: 1426947
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Failing to challenge the state's failure to produce a videotape of the altercation.

Text: Based on the state's failure to produce a videotape of his fight with Wright, Leonard says his counsel were ineffective in failing to move for dismissal or for a jury instruction that the missing evidence would be presumed favorable to the defense. He claims that Senior CO Edwards's inconsistent explanations as to why the tape was not made indicate bad faith on the part of the state. A conviction may be reversed when the state loses evidence if the defendant is prejudiced by the loss or the state acted in bad faith in losing it. Sparks v. State, 104 Nev. 316, 319, 759 P.2d 180, 182 (1988). To establish prejudice, the defendant must show that it could be reasonably anticipated that the evidence would have been exculpatory and material to the defense. Boggs v. State, 95 Nev. 911, 913, 604 P.2d 107, 108 (1979). Also, if the state fails out of gross negligence to gather material evidence, a defendant is entitled to a presumption that the evidence would have been unfavorable to the state, and in cases of bad faith, dismissal of the charges may be an available remedy. Daniels v. State, 114 Nev. ___, 956 P.2d 111 (1998). Leonard concludes that Edwards's failure to record the fight constituted a loss of evidence by the state. We reject this conclusion. First, although Leonard implies that Edwards may have erased the tape, there is no evidence that a video recording of the altercation was ever made. Therefore, the evidence which Leonard alludes to never existed and was never lost. Second, even assuming that failing to make a recording could be construed as loss of or a failure to gather evidence, we conclude that the rules announced in Sparks and Daniels do not apply to Edwards's negligence because, even though a state employee, Edwards was not acting for the police or prosecuting authorities when he failed to make a tape. Similarly, any bad faith by Edwards is not attributable to the state in its police or prosecutorial role; moreover, although Edwards's inconsistent statements may constitute questionable attempts after the fact to excuse his negligence in failing to make a tape, they do not indicate a deliberate, bad faith decision not to record the altercation. Finally, even if the lack of a video recording could be construed as loss of or improper failure to gather evidence by the state, Leonard has failed to show that such a recording could be reasonably anticipated to have been exculpatory. CO Bascus testified that Leonard attacked Wright without provocation, and Wright's numerous stab wounds and Leonard's unscathed condition indicate that Leonard was the aggressor. Leonard has shown no ineffectiveness of counsel in this regard.