Opinion ID: 1058661
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Use of False Evidence

Text: Teleguz argues the Commonwealth violated his Due Process rights, pursuant to Napue v. Illinois, 360 U.S. 264, 79 S.Ct. 1173, 3 L.Ed.2d 1217 (1959), by knowingly permitting Investigator Whitfield to give false testimony. A conviction obtained based on false testimony must be set aside if there is any reasonable likelihood that the false testimony could have affected the judgment of the jury. United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 103, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976). This requirement applies even where the testimony affects the witness' credibility, rather than the issue of guilt. Napue, 360 U.S. at 269-70, 79 S.Ct. 1173. In order to find that a violation of Napue occurred in this case, we must determine first that the testimony identified by Teleguz was false, second that the prosecution knew of the falsity, and finally that the falsity affected the jury's judgment. Id. at 269-71, 79 S.Ct. 1173. Teleguz identifies five statements by Investigator Whitfield which he claims meet these criteria. As an initial matter, two of these statements, Investigator Whitfield's testimony regarding who was present at the interview and the races of the other individuals whose photographs were included on the photograph array, were made during a voir dire that took place outside the presence of the jury and, therefore, could not have affected the judgment of the jury, Napue, 360 U.S. at 271, 79 S.Ct. 1173, in violation of the Due Process Clause. We conclude that the other portions of Investigator Whitfield's testimony cited by Teleguz likewise fail to give rise to a violation of Napue. Contrary to Teleguz's argument, Investigator Whitfield did not falsely testify about the timing and location of his interview with Moore. Although a review of the record reveals some inconsistencies in Investigator Whitfield's testimony, much of his testimony, including the inconsistencies, was given in conjunction with his own qualification that he was unable to remember or that he would need to consult his notes to refresh his recollection. These statements were not false, but rather were simply statements of what he believed to be true, accompanied by a qualification that he was not certain. The final two statements identified as false by Teleguz relate to Investigator Whitfield's testimony regarding the impetus for his interview with Moore. At trial, Investigator Whitfield testified that he approached Moore because he believed that Moore, as Sipe's neighbor, might have information regarding her murder, and because the police were already familiar with Moore based on previous interactions with him. Although Whitfield's testimony in a post-trial hearing was inconsistent with these statements, nothing in the record establishes that the prosecutor knew that Investigator Whitfield's trial testimony was inaccurate. [8] As we explained above, Teleguz's guilt depended on the testimony of the Commonwealth's witnesses which established that Teleguz hired Gilkes and Hetrick to kill Sipe. Even assuming that the prosecutor knew of the alleged false testimony, there is no reasonable likelihood that Investigator Whitfield's testimony on the reason for interviewing Moore could have affected the judgment of the jury. Agurs, 427 U.S. at 103, 96 S.Ct. 2392.