Opinion ID: 1681700
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: walter smykowski

Text: Riechmann next argues that the lower court should have allowed him to perpetuate the testimony of Walter Smykowski by a deposition in Dubai, or alternatively, the court should have allowed him to introduce Smykowski's affidavit at the evidentiary hearing. He also asserts that the trial court erred in its ruling denying his Brady and Giglio claims based on the State's failure to disclose all of its pretrial contacts with Smykowski. In his first rule 3.850 postconviction motion, Riechmann raised two claims regarding Smykowski. First, he alleged that his trial counsel was deficient for failing to investigate evidence that would have discredited the State's jailhouse informant, Smykowski, who testified that Riechmann was elated at the prospect of becoming a millionaire from Kischnick's insurance policies. Riechmann II, 777 So.2d at 357. Another inmate had offered to testify during trial as to Smykowski's lack of credibility, but Riechmann's counsel had decided not to call this witness. Id. This Court affirmed the trial court's conclusion that Riechmann's trial counsel's decision not to call the witness was reasonable. Id. Riechmann also claimed that Smykowski testified only because prosecutors had told him that they would help him get out of his federal criminal sentence. Id. at 361. Riechmann argued that this evidence had not been disclosed and could have been used at trial to impeach Smykowski. Id. However, at trial, Smykowski acknowledged that he was hoping that the State would write a letter to the judge who was sentencing him, and defense counsel asserted at closing argument that his testimony was motivated by his desire for such a letter. Moreover, although a letter was eventually written, the prosecutor testified at the evidentiary hearing that he had not promised to write one. Id. at 361. This Court affirmed the trial court's findings in denying postconviction relief that there had been express testimony at trial regarding the possibility of the prosecutor writing a letter to the federal parole authorities, and hence this allegedly withheld or newly discovered evidence presented no basis for relief. Id.