Opinion ID: 502770
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Ex Parte In Camera Material

Text: 25 Defendants contend that the district court erred in not disclosing material submitted to the district court ex parte and in camera. They argue that (1) the court impermissibly balanced the parties' interests under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA), 18 U.S.C.App. Secs. 1-16 (1982); (2) the court erred in accepting an ex parte in camera submission without requiring the filing of a public claim of privilege; and (3) the government failed to assert a formal claim to a state secret privilege under United States v. Reynolds, 345 U.S. 1, 73 S.Ct. 528, 97 L.Ed. 727 (1953). We again disagree. 26 Congress passed CIPA to prevent the problem of graymail, where defendants pressed for the release of classified information to force the government to drop the prosecution. S.Rep. No. 823, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 4, reprinted in 1980 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 4294, 4297. CIPA permits the trial judge to rule on questions of admissibility involving classified information before introduction of the evidence in open court. This procedure ... permit[s] the government to ascertain the potential damage to national security of proceeding with a given prosecution before trial. Id., 1980 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News at 4294. CIPA creates a pretrial procedure for ruling upon the admissibility of classified information. United States v. Smith, 780 F.2d 1102, 1105 (4th Cir.1985) (en banc). See generally United States v. Collins, 720 F.2d 1195, 1196-97 (11th Cir.1983). 27 Defendants argue that CIPA forbids balancing national security concerns against defendant's need for documents. Their argument is meritless. Congress intended section 4 to clarify the court's powers under Fed.R.Crim.P. 16(d)(1) to deny or restrict discovery in order to protect national security. S.Rep. No. 823, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 6, reprinted in 1980 U.S.Code & Cong.News 4299-4300. On issues of discovery, the court can engage in balancing. Id. See also United States v. Pringle, 751 F.2d 419, 426-27 (1st Cir.1984). 28 Defendants next contend that the government must file a public claim of privilege before making an ex parte in camera submission. The clear language of the statute and its legislative history foreclose that contention. Section 4 allows the court to permit the United States to make a request ... in the form of a written statement to be inspected by the court alone. 18 U.S.C.App. Sec. 4. See Pringle, 751 F.2d at 427. The legislative history emphasizes that since the government is seeking to withhold classified information from the defendant, an adversary hearing with defense knowledge would defeat the very purpose of the discovery rules. H.R.Rep. No. 831, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 27 n. 22. Nowhere does CIPA require the government to file a public claim of privilege before making an in camera ex parte submission. 29 Defendants finally argue that the government failed to make a formal claim of state secret privilege under Reynolds, 345 U.S. 1, 73 S.Ct. 528. Reynolds requires a formal claim of privilege, lodged by the head of the department which has control over the matter after actual personal consideration by that officer. Id. at 7-8, 73 S.Ct. at 532 (footnotes omitted). We assume arguendo that the enactment of CIPA does not affect the validity of Reynolds. We have examined the government's sealed submission and conclude that it satisfies Reynolds. 30 The district court is AFFIRMED.