Opinion ID: 613237
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Tammy Green (Castro)

Text: Jalowiec contends that Tammy Green, Danny Smith's girlfriend, was given transactional immunity for her grand jury testimony and that this fact was not disclosed to the defense. The district court correctly concluded that, even if Tammy Green was given immunity for her grand jury testimony, the prosecution was under no obligation to disclose it because she did not testify at Jalowiec's trial. Jalowiec, 2008 WL 312655, at  (citing United States v. Mullins, 22 F.3d 1365, 1372 (6th Cir.1994) (observing that because the prosecution did not call the agreement's beneficiary as a witness at trial, there was no one to impeach.)). Further, Jalowiec maintains that Green's grand jury testimony was contrary to Sharon Hopkins's trial testimony and that he could have used it to impeach Hopkins if it had been disclosed to him. The district court reasoned that the prosecution had no duty to disclose the grand jury testimony, despite its potential impeachment value, because there is no showing that Jalowiec could not have obtained Green's story from her directly and called her as a witness. Id. (citing Carter v. Bell, 218 F.3d 581, 601 (6th Cir.2000) (holding there was no Brady violation where the defendant should have known of the information and it was available from another source)). See also Doan v. Carter, 548 F.3d 449, 460 (6th Cir.2008) (same). On appeal, Jalowiec argues the district court's reasoning is flawed. He contends he had no reason to know Green's version of the events on January 19, 1994 was different than Sharon Hopkins's and Michael Smith's. Yet, Green's presence among those involved in the events of January 19 was attested to by others. Her recollection of the events should have been readily discoverable with minimal investigation by defense counsel. Under such circumstances, the Brady rule does not assist a defendant who is aware of essential facts that would allow him to take advantage of the exculpatory evidence at issue, such as when the evidence in question would have been discoverable with minimal investigation by [defense] counsel. Coleman v. Mitchell, 268 F.3d 417, 438 (6th Cir.2001); see also Benge v. Johnson, 474 F.3d 236, 243 (6th Cir.2007). Moreover, in her grand jury testimony, Green testified not only that she did not know who Sharon Hopkins was, but also that Michael Smith was not in the car with her and Danny that night. She also stated that she did not see Fike's LeBaron that night. Her version of events before she and Danny and Raymond and Jalowiec parted ways on January 19, read in isolation, would have assisted Jalowiec's defense insofar as it contradicted the testimony of two prosecution witnesses on some background details. Generally, however, Green made clear her unwillingness to get involved. She admitted that she wanted to remain willfully ignorant of Danny's criminal activities. Hence, even if the prosecution ought to have disclosed the substance of her grand jury testimony, it is unlikely that the account of such a reluctant witness would have effectively impeached the testimony of Michael Smith and Sharon Hopkins. Accordingly, we find no error in the district court's ruling.