Opinion ID: 1266317
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Electronic Surveillance by LaCherie Pletcher

Text: In the course of the investigation of Knaze's murder, Pletcher cooperated with the prosecution by allowing the police to record telephone and in-person conversations between her and Simmons that occurred after his arrest. The existence and contents of these electronic surveillance tapes were not disclosed to Simmons before trial. Only subsequently did Simmons discover that, after he was arrested, Detective Rok had told Pletcher that she was a suspect in Knaze's murder, indicating that Knaze's killer had been seen with someone resembling Pletcher, and threatened to put her in jail if she did not cooperate with investigators. Pletcher therefore allowed the police to record her conversations with Simmons, and at Rok's behest she tried to elicit incriminating statements from Simmons. Simmons contends that if he had known of the pressure Rok placed on Pletcher and the subsequent surveillance, he could have used that information to impeach Pletcher's credibility, particularly with respect to her changed statements as to when he arrived home the night of May 5.