Opinion ID: 509516
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Denial of the Request for Discovery and an Evidentiary Hearing

Text: 110 Harris moved for discovery under Rule 6(a) of the Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases, 28 U.S.C. foll. Sec. 2254 (1982). Rule 6(a) provides for discovery in habeas corpus proceedings if, and to the extent that, the judge in the exercise of his discretion and for good cause shown grants leave to do so, but not otherwise. Harris' request for discovery was made in conjunction with his request for an evidentiary hearing on his discrimination claims. 111 In his discovery motion, Harris presented statistical data analyzed by Dr. James Cole refer[ring] to convictions and death sentences stemming from homicides occurring in California in years 1978-1982. Cole's preliminary findings indicate that someone whose victim was white had a probability of ultimately receiving the death penalty approximately five times as large as that for someone whose victim was nonwhite. Further, a male between the ages of 25 to 34 stands a significantly greater chance than other defendants of receiving the sentence of death. Based on these preliminary findings, Harris moved for an order compelling the State to produce substantial data from the California courts, including age, race and gender data of victim and defendant in each homicide prosecution in the State of California since 1977, and all transcripts of all California penalty trials relating to offenses committed on or after 1977. 5 112 To be entitled to an evidentiary hearing, Harris must demonstrate that (1) he has alleged facts which, if proved, would entitle him to relief, and (2) an evidentiary hearing is required to establish the truth of his allegations. Harris I, 692 F.2d at 1197 (citing Pierce, 572 F.2d at 1340-41); Townsend v. Sain, 372 U.S. 293, 312, 83 S.Ct. 745, 756, 9 L.Ed.2d 770 (1963). The district court did not grant Harris' motion for discovery or request for an evidentiary hearing because it held that, even assuming the truth of Harris' factual statistical allegations, his discrimination claims failed. 113 An evidentiary hearing would be necessary to hear any evidence that a particular defendant was discriminated against because of his race, age, or gender. But as we discuss in the next section of this opinion, general statistical studies of the kind offered here do not prove discrimination. Moreover, it is not necessary to conduct a full evidentiary hearing as to studies which do nothing more than show an unexplainable disparity.