Opinion ID: 2521246
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Analysis of Elements

Text: [¶ 17] The first element requires that we determine whether Davis showed that the prosecution suppressed evidence. Davis presented testimony showing that DCI knew about the Powell tape before trial. When the prosecution learned about it after trial, it did disclose. A prosecutor has a duty to learn of any favorable evidence known to the others acting on the government's behalf in the case, including the police. Kyles, 514 U.S. at 437-38, 115 S.Ct. at 1567. In this case, the Powell tape is admissible [3] to impeach Morris' testimony at Davis' trial that she had used drugs two months before trial when she had actually used drugs more recently and to impeach the DCI agents' testimony vouching for Morris' credibility. The discovery of the Powell tape directly led to the defense's discovery of Powell's post-trial conversation with Morris where Powell alleges that Morris said she had intentionally shut off the tape recorder, and stated different motives for testifying against Davis. Powell's version of Morris' post-trial statements contradicts Morris' trial testimony and could potentially be recognized as improperly suppressed Brady evidence. See Paradis v. Arave, 240 F.3d 1169, 1178-79 (9th Cir.2001). These post-trial contradictions obviously could not have been disclosed before trial, however, and, because they were not in existence before trial, cannot be part of an analysis as to whether the suppression of the Powell tape was a Brady violation. Strickler, 527 U.S. at 283, 119 S.Ct. at 1949. Nevertheless, by showing that the State failed to disclose the Powell tape which did exist before trial, Davis has met his burden on this element. [¶ 18] The next element, that Davis prove the evidence would have been favorable to him, is also established by the record. Favorable evidence includes impeachment evidence, and the undisclosed Powell tape of Morris' use of drugs is impeachment evidence, particularly so when her use was at a time different than that to which she had testified. The Powell tape is also impeachment evidence because, at trial, the defense had no evidence and could only suggest that Morris' motives were not as pure as she testified. Further, the defense at trial had no evidence with which to challenge the prosecution's bolstering [4] of Morris' credibility with the testimony of DCI agents who vouched for Morris' credibility in that she was trustworthy for various reasons including clean urinalyses results and who stated that one agent could hear Davis make inculpatory statements on an inaudible tape. [5] In the hands of defense counsel, the Powell tape's disclosure indicating that DCI knew that Davis was engaging in illegal activities would have been most useful for challenging all of this testimony. [¶ 19] The final element requires that we focus on the materiality of the undisclosed evidence, mindful that favorable evidence is material if its suppression undermines confidence in the outcome of the trial. Bagley, 473 U.S. at 678, 105 S.Ct. at 3381. In Kyles, the Court further reviewed the meaning of materiality as it relates to the final result of the trial: Bagley's touchstone of materiality is a reasonable probability of a different result, and the adjective is important. The question is not whether the defendant would more likely than not have received a different verdict with the evidence, but whether in its absence he received a fair trial, understood as a trial resulting in a verdict worthy of confidence. A reasonable probability of a different result is accordingly shown when the government's evidentiary suppression undermines confidence in the outcome of the trial. Kyles, 514 U.S. at 434, 115 S.Ct. at 1566 (citing Bagley, 473 U.S. at 678, 105 S.Ct. at 3381) (emphasis added). [¶ 20] In Strickler, the Court distinguished between finding a reasonable probability that the outcome might have been different requiring a reversal and finding a reasonable possibility requiring that the conviction be affirmed. 527 U.S. at 291, 119 S.Ct. at 1953. The dissent in Strickler cautioned that the continued use of the term probability promoted the likelihood that courts would apply the forbidden more likely than not determination and thus violate Kyles, and it proposed that the term be deemed inevitably imprecise, thus warranting changing the term to a significant possibility. Id. at 298, 119 S.Ct. at 1956 (Souter and Kennedy, JJ., concurring and dissenting). The differing conclusions on materiality reached by Strickler's majority and dissent in analyzing the particular facts illustrate not only that the preceding discussion is not idle intellectualizing but also that a conclusion regarding materiality may well be entirely subjective when credibility judgments are at issue. [¶ 21] The subjectivity presented when evaluating the significance of credibility determinations is particularly troublesome in this case where Morris' credibility was the critical issue. Perhaps we could simply dispose of this case by simplistically concluding that had the Powell tape been disclosed, Morris would not have testified that she had used drugs two months earlier, but would have testified that she used them one month earlier; or by agreeing with the trial court that Morris had admitted that she had used drugs on a single occasion and a new trial is not required; or by deciding that the difference in time frames relating to Morris' drug use does not undermine our confidence in the verdict. [¶ 22] However, our review indicates that the portions of the Morris tape where Davis allegedly made his inculpatory statements are inaudible, and, therefore, Davis' trial was dependent entirely upon Morris' testimony. Impeachment evidence that could be used to discredit such an important witness or cast doubt on her veracity is usually material. As previously discussed, the prosecution presented DCI agent testimony that bolstered Morris' credibility and opined that Davis could actually be heard on the tape. The Powell tape could have been used to discredit that testimony also. The question is not whether the State would have had a case to go to the jury if it had disclosed the favorable evidence, but whether we can be confident that the jury's verdict would have been the same. Kyles, 514 U.S. at 453, 115 S.Ct. at 1575. Because no evidence other than Morris' testimony established Davis' alleged inculpatory statements, we hold that the undisclosed evidence is material, Davis' conviction is reversed, and this case is remanded for new trial.