Opinion ID: 1984141
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Grand Jury Tape

Text: Jacques claims that the Attorney General's Office committed prosecutorial abuse by not providing him with a complete tape of the Grand Jury proceedings. This Court again will concern itself with the standards for the finding of prosecutorial abuse as enunciated in the Wyche and Bagley cases as previously articulated in the preceding subject of this decision. Again, in applying the Wyche doctrine, this Court must determine whether the gap which was found to be present in the Grand Jury tape that was supplied to defense counsel prior to trial was caused by an intentional or deliberate act on the part of the prosecution. The court permitted defense counsel the opportunity to promulgate interrogatories upon any member of the Attorney General's Office including two Attorneys General for the purpose of discovering any and all knowledge relative to the recording of Grand Jury testimony; its storage and safekeeping; its copying and all other procedures known to be in existence at the time Jacques was indicted, as well as the period during which his case was being tried before the Petit Jury. In reviewing the answers to these interrogatories, there was no indication whatsoever that anyone employed by the Attorney General who had any authority to touch or listen to the Grand Jury tapes either intentionally or deliberately altered, modified, delineated, or in any way tampered with the recording of the Grand Jury proceeding which involved Jacques' case before the Grand Jury. Jacques subpoenaed during the evidentiary hearing the State's Trial Counsel Randy White, former Assistant Attorney General Gemma and presently Associate Justice Gemma of the Superior Court, who was in charge of the Criminal Division at the time the indictment was returned, Appellate Counsel Ned Hastings, Leon A. Blaise, who was Chief of Investigations during the Violet administration (1985-86), Detective Thomas J. Almond of the Lincoln Police, Defense Counsel Richard Casparian and former Attorney General Arlene Violet for the purpose of determining if any one of them had been involved or knew of any plan or plot to alter or delete the recording of the Grand Jury proceeding. At an evidentiary hearing dated March 23, 1990, Marie Vallier, who was in charge of the storing of Grand Jury tapes of all Grand Jury proceedings dating back to the time when Jacques was indicted, gave testimony as to the method of the storing of such tapes. She stated that she would provide Jacques with a new tape of the Grand Jury proceedings because the tape originally given to Jacques' trial counsel in 1983 was apparently lost. An order was entered by the court to provide another tape and a new tape was delivered to Defense Counsel Martin Malinou. Upon comparing the contents of the tape delivered to Malinou, with the written transcription of the original tape provided to Defense Trial Counsel Casparian in 1983, Malinou determined that there was a three and one-half minute gap in the tape originally supplied to Defense Counsel Casparian. Upon receiving the contents of the gapped portion, both Appellate Counsel Ned Hastings and Trial Counsel Casparian prepared affidavits alleging that if they were in possession of the deleted portion, the credibility of the complaining witness, Kuzia, could have been more effectively attacked. Counsel stated in their affidavits and their testimony during the evidentiary hearing that they regarded the omitted section as potentially material to the defense of Jacques. (See omitted section of tape Appendix A attached). Petitioner's counsel moved for the immediate granting of the relief sought in the Petition for Post-Conviction Relief upon learning of the omitted section of the Grand Jury tape. Memoranda were filed on behalf of both the Petitioner and the State, and the Court will address this issue. Firstly, this Court would unmistakenly grant said Petition on this issue alone if the circumstances surrounding the omitted three and one-half minute gap are found to be the result of intentional or deliberate action on the part of any member of the prosecution. Id. Wyche. The interrogatories promulgated by the Petitioner as well as the testimony elicited by the Petitioner during the evidentiary hearing failed to surface or establish any scheme or plan on the part of the prosecution to delineate in any way the original tape which was prepared from the reel established from the electronic recording of Grand Jury proceedings. The Court finds that the Jacques' Grand Jury proceeding was recorded as all Grand Jury proceedings are recorded, and in accordance with standard procedures. Jacques' proceeding was copied from the reel and was stored in the paralegal room of the Attorney General in accordance with prescribed procedures in effect at that time. In 1983 the procedure provided that defense counsel upon request would be provided with the cassette on file in the paralegal room after a copy was made by the person in charge of the paralegal room. Defense counsel would appear at the paralegal office and sign a receipt for the original tape. The defense counsel would take the original tape and make a copy and be required to return the original tape within seven days. There is nothing in the record or in any testimony elicited during the evidentiary hearing that this procedure was not followed during the course of preparing the tape of the Jacques' Grand Jury proceedings and the providing of a copy of the tape to defense counsel. For some unknown reason, at some time during the copying of the original reel of the Grand Jury proceeding or in the course of copying the cassette prepared from the reel, a gap appeared on the tape utilized by Trial Counsel Casparian and Appellate Counsel Hastings. The Court has absolutely no evidence upon which to conclude that the gap occurred as a result of any deliberate action on the part of the State. On the basis of this finding, the Court cannot grant relief as requested by Petitioner solely upon applying the doctrine enunciated in State v. Wyche, 518 A.2d 907 ([R.I.] 1986), United States v. Keough [Keogh], 391 F.2d 138 (2nd Cir.1968). The Court, having reached the conclusion that the missing section of the tape was not as a result of any deliberate action on the part of the prosecutor, will now address the standard of materiality as it relates to evidence inadvertently withheld from the defense, namely, the missing section of the tape. United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667 [105 S.Ct. 3375]. Under Bagley the standard of materiality is that only if there is a reasonable probability that had the evidence, in the instant case, the missing portion of the tape, been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. 473 U.S. at 682 [105 S.Ct. at 3383]. Edwin Hastings, Appellate Counsel, stated that he was very upset upon learning of the gap in the tape. He said that the principal area of concern was the reason Kuzia gave in delaying the reporting of the incident as she stated in the gapped portion. Hastings stated that her first report of the incident was some nine months after the alleged assault took place. He said a portion of the gap of the tape refers to how and why she called Gemma to make the initial complaint nine months after the incident took place. According to Hastings her explanation was incredible in that there is a severe disparity between her testimony to the petit jury explaining her state of mind at the time of the incident, which Hastings characterizes as casual, and her described state of mind in June 1983, nine months after the incident, when speaking to Gemma. In the missing portion of the Grand Jury tape, Kuzia said when she was asked why she waited nine months to report the assault. I heard at seven in the morning that there was a charge (against Jacques) involving a girl and I called the Attorney General at 9:00 a.m. I thought it was the thing to do that's the kind of person I am. God. I had to do this right now โ it was going to help her, especially because he was pleading innocent. I listened to hear the whole thing and when she said innocent he was pleading innocent that's when I knew that I had to get in touch with someone fast. Mr. Hastings was convinced that by bringing this portion of the Grand Jury testimony to the attention of the petit jury, the credibility of Kuzia could have been materially attacked. The fact of the matter is that trial counsel who knew of what prompted Kuzia to report the incident because it appears in the police report (see State's exhibit C) deliberately and wisely kept from the jury the reason that Kuzia came forth nine months after the alleged incident took place. Calling to the attention of the jury that Jacques had been the subject of another sexual assault would have severely prejudiced his presumption of innocence if not compel the jury to look upon him as a repeat offender. Mr. Hastings, however, insisted upon taking the position during the testimony he gave at the evidentiary hearing that if the defense had the benefit of this portion of the missing section the outcome of the trial would have been different. The Court can give little if no credence to Mr. Hasting's theory, particularly in view of the fact that trial counsel carefully avoided utilizing the reported reason for Kuzia coming forth nine months later. Any other trial strategy relating to the use of this information could well have supported a claim for ineffective counsel. Mr. Casparian stated in his affidavit supplied on behalf of the Petitioner and in his testimony during the evidentiary hearing that this missing portion of the Grand Jury tape may have produced reasonable doubt in the minds of enough jurors to avoid a conviction of Jacques. Casparian stated that if he had the benefit of the missing portion of the Grand Jury tape he could have impeached the testimony of Kuzia at the trial relative to her familiarity with the Living Room. During the missing portion of the Grand Jury tape, Kuzia was asked by a juror if she had any idea where in Providence the Living Room Lounge was. Kuzia answered no. The juror asked You did not know if it was in the City or if it was in the suburbs? โ Kuzia answered No, All I knew was the street. I was not familiar with Providence at all. The juror then asked So at no point did you every go near the street that it was on? Kuzia answered No I was in the total wrong direction. Casparian avers that in her testimony at trial she stated she was familiar with the Living Room Lounge. Referring to Page 73 of the trial transcript, Mr. Casparian asked Kuzia How did it come to pass that you became familiar with the local night spot called the Living Room? Kuzia replied From a lot of people that I had known at Endicott College who were familiar with R.I.S.D. students and had visited them and had been taken to the Living Room, and also my fiance had mentioned it and told me that I could see what is going on there. She said she had never been to Providence prior to the date of the assault. She said she had heard of it only. As a result of analyzing the above testimony, the Court finds no discrepancy or contradiction of Kuzia's testimony at the Grand Jury as it is compared to her testimony at the trial relating to her knowledge of the actual location of the Living Room Lounge. Her testimony was consistent in that she knew of the Living Room Lounge by hearing about it but had little or no knowledge of its actual location. The missing testimony on the tape does not constitute the basis upon which the Court can find that there is a reasonable probability that had this portion of the missing tape been known prior to the trial by the defense the result of the proceeding would have been different. U.S. v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667 [105 S.Ct. 3375, 87 L.Ed.2d 481]. Casparian further testified that he could have used the following portion of the missing tape to impeach the testimony of Kuzia in describing the physical attributes of Jacques as compared to the actual height and size of Jacques. At the Grand Jury proceedings, a juror asked Kuzia: JUROR: Did he threaten to hit you if you did not comply with his wishes? KUZIA: No, but like I said he was a big guy and I was afraid of him. JUROR: You say he was a big guy? KUZIA: Well not tall big, but he's big, big, around big. JUROR: About your height? KUZIA: Yes. I'm not sure how tall he is. I'm five four. JUROR:  (indiscernible)  how tall he is. KUZIA: And he is bigger/than [big as in arm's length]  (indiscernible)  and he was naked and looked kind of big. During her direct examination at trial (pg. 47) when Kuzia was asked Were you able to determine Jacques' height? She said Yes I estimated him to be taller than me. I figure five seven or five eight. The assertion that Kuzia's description of Jacques in the missing gap of the tape differed from her description of Jacques at the trial is without any basis. Further, the jury had every opportunity to view the Petitioner's physical appearance during the trial and make their own observation concerning his physical attributes. Casparian further stated that in the missing portion of the tape, Kuzia said Jacques was telling the truth but then in her testimony before the jury she said Jacques was trying to confuse her. In reading the direct testimony of Kuzia at the trial regarding her discussion with Jacques at the outset of the meeting in the Federal Hill section of Providence, the Court is unable to discern any expression on the part of Kuzia to describe any effort on the part of Jacques to confuse her. It is apparent by her testimony that she had become lost in her effort to reach the Living Room Lounge and in fact was on the wrong side of the expressway when she first encountered Jacques on that afternoon. This constituted the basis for her stating that she was confused and not that Jacques had tried to confuse her. Casparian further stated that he could have used the contents of the three and one-half minute missing section of the tape to rebut the testimony of Kuzia that Jacques had used force to influence her in getting aboard Jacques' jeep, and her being driven to Jacques' tree house in Lincoln, and in any and all aspects of the sexual encounter which occurred later that day. During her direct and cross-examination Kuzia repeatedly admitted that she was never threatened by Jacques prior to, during, or after the sexual assault. In addition Kuzia never testified that Jacques used his physical size to overcome or overwhelm her during the sexual assault. As noted by the Supreme Court in State v. Jacques, the assault was perpetrated as a result of deceit and surprise. In fact, Kuzia was able to resist the limited extent of Jacques' penetration with his fingers and penis. This missing portion of the tape could hardly constitute a basis for this Court to find that if the portion of the missing tape had been provided to the defense prior to the trial, the result of the proceeding would have been different. United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667 [105 S.Ct. 3375, 87 L.Ed.2d 481]. Consequently, the theories propounded by both appellate counsel and trial counsel do not warrant any consideration with respect to counsel's belief that the information contained in the three and one-half minute gap would have created a reasonable probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome of the trial. The Court will now address the remainder of Jacques' allegations with respect to prosecutorial abuse in deliberately withholding evidence that could have effected the outcome of the trial. They are as follows:

Jacques subpoenaed Detective Almond and Detective Shea of the Lincoln Police Department, State Trial Counsel Randy White, Chief Investigator Blaise, Former Assistant Attorney General Henry Gemma, former Attorney General Arlene Violet and Defense Counsel Casparian. All of them were questioned as to any knowledge they may have had of the information listed in the aforementioned allegations. Detective Almond, who conducted the full investigation of the case and was engaged in the designated paralegal role during the trial, was questioned extensively during the evidentiary hearing as to any knowledge he had of this information. He testified unequivocally that he knew nothing about any use of drugs by Kuzia, no knowledge of bathing in the nude at Williams Street in Providence nor did he know of any of the circumstances associated with the employment of Kuzia by the Omni Biltmore Hotel prior to the trial of Jacques. See State's Exhibit # C (full). He testified that he did go to Mrs. Hardy's home on Williams Street where Kuzia was living at the time of the assault for the purpose of confirming that Kuzia lived there at the time of the assault. He said that he had no reason to suspect that Kuzia was not telling the truth. He said he took a statement from the husband of Kuzia, Mark Read, and said that Mark Read supported his wife's complaint and wanted to see Jacques prosecuted. All of the affidavits and evidence in support of this alleged newly acquired evidence have been submitted and elicited by Jacques subsequent to the trial. The Court finds that any of this information acquired by Jacques was not known or even suspected by the prosecution prior to the trial. On the basis of this Court's findings, this evidence cannot be treated as potential causes for the determination of prosecutorial abuse, but the Court will analyze the potential impact it may have as newly discovered evidence. The Court will weigh the substantive value of this alleged information to determine its competency and potential impact at any new trial. State v. Lanoue, [117 R.I. 342], 366 A.2d 1158 (R.I. 1976).