Opinion ID: 2817272
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Taking the stand

Text: Given the attention paid to Ms. Sharp’s involuntary confessional statements during the trial, we question whether she would have taken the stand to rebut them and open herself to cross-examination if they had been properly suppressed. See Wolfe v. Clarke, 691 F.3d 410, 425-26 (4th Cir. 2012) (affirming district court’s grant of § 2254 petition because a Brady violation tainted two of defendant’s convictions, and affirming district court’s decision to vacate all three of defendant’s convictions because third conviction relied significantly on defendant’s testimony at trial, and the government could not prove defendant would have testified without the improperly admitted evidence). Cf. Harrison v. United States, 392 U.S. 219, 224 (1968) (“It is, of course, difficult to unravel the many - 40 - considerations that might have led the petitioner to take the witness stand at his former trial. But, having illegally placed his confessions before the jury, the Government can hardly demand a demonstration by the petitioner that he would not have testified as he did if his inadmissible confessions had not been used.”). But she did testify, and on cross-examination she admitted that “in a way” it was her idea to burn Mr. Owen’s belongings to destroy all evidence that he had been in the camp site. State App. Vol. IV at 90-91. The State highlighted this statement during closing arguments. State App. Vol. XII at 63 (“She decided they had to burn everything else up so the crime couldn’t be connected back to them.”).