Opinion ID: 2639434
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defense Investigator Marilyn Mobert's Role

Text: The referee found that State Public Defender investigator Marilyn Mobert scared Joanna into recanting her trial testimony by discussing perjury, prison, and loss of custody of her children. Her technique, stated the referee, consists not so much [of] the finding of evidence but as creating it by threatening witnesses, scaring witnesses, putting words in the mouths of witnesses, preparing false reports and testifying falsely in court. As the referee pointed out, Joanna never discussed recanting her testimony nor took any steps towards that end for six years after the trial. In 1990, she executed a declaration affirming her trial testimony. However, immediately after her September 1990 meeting with Mobert, Joanna phoned Sergeant Wilson in tears and in a panic and later, in January 1992, recanted. Because the referee's factual findings are supported by the evidence, we accept them as true. [3]