Opinion ID: 2350242
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Undisclosed Impeachable Convictions.

Text: Brooks also claimed that the government failed to disclose all of Robert Bennett's impeachable convictions pursuant to defense request. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 87, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 1196, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963); Lewis, supra note 8, 393 A.2d at 115. The government admits error in the use of a ten-year old conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. [9] In addition to this conviction, Bennett could at least have been impeached with the conviction for theft and failure to appear. [10] The trial judge ruled that there was no reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different. (quoting United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667, 682, 105 S.Ct. 3375, 3384, 87 L.Ed.2d 481 (1985)). This decision was reasonable. Derrington, supra note 8, 488 A.2d at 1339 (citation omitted) (standard of review regarding Brady material). Bennett was an employment counselor. His testimony could only determine when Mackenheimer received, approximately five days before her death, information about employment which she had written on a piece of paper that was found in her apartment. The piece of paper was from Bennett's pocket calendar and contained his name, address, and telephone number. Brooks' fingerprint was found on that piece of paper. As the defense pointed out at trial, Brooks could have placed his fingerprint on the paper at an earlier time because Mackenheimer possessed the paper, as opposed to the information on it, prior to her meeting with Bennett. The paper and the fingerprint would nonetheless have been introduced as evidence; Bennett's testimony was not essential and only a collateral aspect of the government's case [11] and he was in fact impeached with one conviction. Accordingly, the judgments are affirmed.