Opinion ID: 1205283
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Witness' Arrest

Text: At trial, the defense portrayed Green as a vindictive liar during its cross-examination of Debar Green. To demonstrate her vindictiveness, the defense revealed that Green had been imprisoned for punishing her six-year-old daughter by burning her hand. To demonstrate her motive for vindictiveness, it was brought out that Green's parole had been revoked in part because of Kerns, the two had numerous violent fights, Kerns had failed to answer letters she wrote while in prison and, on the day she phoned the sheriff, she and Kerns had ended their relationship because Kerns had discovered Green was having an affair. The defense claims the information that law enforcement arrested Green because she was attempting not to testify was also critical impeachment evidence on the issue of her credibility since it indicates she did not want to lie on the witness stand. The State claims there was no suppression of exculpatory or favorable evidence since the arrest was included in the court file although not served on the defense. At an evidentiary hearing, the defense did not produce any evidence that Green was concerned with perjuring herself. Witnesses called by the defense did state that Green told them she was receiving threats from Kern's friends in Casper. Green did not testify at the evidentiary hearing. The credibility of Green may have been determinative of guilt or innocence and nondisclosure of evidence affecting her credibility falls within the general Brady rule. Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 154, 92 S.Ct. 763, 766, 31 L.Ed.2d 104 (1972). When witness credibility is an issue, evidence bearing on credibility may be admissible. The defense's assertion that Green's arrest was impeachment evidence, however, is unsupported by evidence in the record and speculative. The failure to disclose Green's arrest is not constitutional error and its materiality will not be discussed.