Opinion ID: 2395051
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Testimony of David Willoughby

Text: The defendant finally contends that the prosecutor deliberately deceived the court by knowingly soliciting and presenting David Willoughby's allegedly perjured testimony. It is clear that the prosecutor did not deliberately deceive the court, because at the outset of the trial, he outlined for the presiding justice three areas in which he believed David's testimony to be false and impeachable. Therefore, Board of Bar Overseers v. Dineen, 481 A.2d 499 (Me.1984) can immediately be distinguished because the prosecutor here did inform the court of the falsity of the potential witness's testimony. The question remains whether he subsequently solicited or presented false testimony that in reasonable likelihood could have affected the judgment of the jury. See State v. Brunette, 501 A.2d 419, 423 (Me.1985). The three areas initially outlined were: 1) the events of December 4; 2) the disposition of the lottery tickets; and 3) David's viewing of the victim's body. A hearing was held following the initial conference wherein defense counsel attempted to show that David's testimony was false. The presiding justice concluded that, based on the evidence adduced at the hearing, I cannot now determine that the State is aware or should be aware that Mr. Willoughby's testimony or part of it are going to be false. He further found that David was not an inherently incredible witness, and that his testimony was not so obviously false as to require exclusion on ethical grounds. A careful review of David's testimony, both at the hearing before the trial justice and before the jury, and of the prosecutor's representations supports the court's findings. David testified that on December 4, after he cleaned up what looked like blood in his mother's car, his fiancee arrived. They then went to purchase an engagement ring. On December 5, he went to find the body about which Philip had allegedly told him, and viewed it from a distance of fifteen to twenty feet. On December 6, he and John Glidden went to Brunswick in Glidden's car to cash the lottery tickets. His testimony before the jury was the same as that on voir dire. As a result of David's voir dire testimony, the prosecutor informed the court that David was no longer impeachable as to the events of December 4. David had apparently testified previously that other than cleaning the car and driving his mother to work, he had stayed home that day. However, he had since recalled the purchase of the engagement ring. As we found above, David's testimony about the disposition of the lottery tickets was essentially corroborated by John Glidden's similar account. Therefore, the prosecutor's representations, taken together with David's testimony, support the trial justice's finding that the prosecutor was no longer taking the position that at least two of the areas of testimony would be subject to impeachment. Finally, we agree with the prosecutor's and the justice's characterization of the discrepancy with respect to the distance from the body as a legitimate difference of perception that did not rise to the level of perjury. A review of David's testimony further supports the court's finding that it was not so incredible or false as to require exclusion. Unlike the situation in State v. Brunette, 501 A.2d at 522, where the court was unequivocally informed that a witness had testified falsely, the facts here do not demonstrate that untruthful testimony was presented to the jury. Although a prosecutor may not state his opinion regarding the credibility of a potential witness, see M. Bar R. 3.7(e)(2)(v), that unsubstantiated opinion, offered in the heat of trial, does not in and of itself constitute knowledge that the witness will commit perjury. [7] Accordingly, the defendant's argument that the prosecutor knowingly solicited and presented perjured testimony is without merit. The entry is: Judgment affirmed. All concurring.