Opinion ID: 553742
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admissibility of Appellant Young's Statement to Officer Malloy

Text: 41 In the afternoon of the first day of the trial, the prosecutor notified the court and Appellant Young's attorney for the first time of the existence of a statement by the Appellant acknowledging his unemployment to one of the officers conducting the raid on the Van Buren Apartment. The court granted a recess and scheduled a hearing on the matter for the following morning. The government originally identified the officer as Officer Tulloch, but corrected this at the outset of the hearing, identifying Officer Malloy as the person who received the statement. Appellant Young contended to the district court that the government's untimely disclosure of this statement to Officer Malloy at trial both violated the rules of discovery and prejudiced Young in the preparation of his case because he could not properly have constructed a motion to suppress had he chosen to do so. 42 The district court rejected these arguments and admitted the statement, finding that the government had not intentionally withheld the statement and that Young voluntarily made the statement after Officer Malloy advised him of his Miranda rights. On appeal, Young contends that the district court's ruling was in error and should be set aside because the evidence was not innocuous as the government had represented in its argument for admissibility, but was quite significant because it provided the most substantial basis from which the jury could draw the inference of defendant's intent to distribute. Thus, Young contends, the prejudice arising from the statement was overwhelming. 43 Rule 16(d)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure governs the regulation of a party who fails to comply with a discovery request. The rule provides that upon notice of such a failure to comply, the court may order such party to permit the discovery or inspection, grant a continuance, or prohibit the party from introducing evidence not disclosed, or it may enter such other order as it deems just under the circumstances. Fed.R.Crim.P. 16(d)(2). Clearly, Rule 16(d)(2) gives the district judge discretion in handling discovery matters. We must assess whether the court below abused that discretion by admitting Appellant Young's statement. United States v. Bartle, 835 F.2d 646, 649-50 (6th. Cir1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 969 (1988). 44 The district judge held a full evidentiary hearing in which Young's attorney had the opportunity to cross-examine Officer Malloy to test the circumstances under which the statement was made. Appellant Young admitted in his testimony that he made the statement after Officer Malloy read him his Miranda rights. Although Appellant's attorney argues prejudice, he does not indicate that the statement could have or would have been excluded if the government had disclosed it in a timely fashion. Nor does he contend that timely disclosure of the statement would have permitted him to soften any prejudicial effect. While the statement may carry some prejudicial impact, it also clearly possesses a high degree of probative value making admission proper under Rule 403 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. 45 In Bartle, we found a second basis to affirm the district court's admission of challenged evidence in the appellant's failure to pursue a less severe remedy than suppression. Bartle, 835 F.2d at 650; accord United States v. Kubiak, 704 F.2d 1545 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 852 (1983). Appellant Young likewise failed in this respect. The record indicates that Appellant's counsel did not use the overnight recess granted by the court to prepare to examine Officer Tulloch. Thus, Appellant was not prejudiced by the subsequent identification of Officer Malloy. Even if such prejudice was evident, Appellant's counsel neglected to seek a continuance or a longer recess to recover from the surprise, entering only a motion to suppress. For these reasons, we conclude the district court did not abuse it discretion by admitting Appellant Young's statement to Officer Malloy.