Opinion ID: 852583
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Suppression of Material Evidence

Text: Stephenson challenges the post-conviction court's conclusion that he failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that that the State suppressed evidence that was material to Stephenson's guilt or to his punishment. Relying on Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), Stephenson alleges that the State violated his right to due process when the State failed to provide Stephenson with information that corroborated his statement and alibi witnesses' testimony. As we have repeatedly explained, under Brady, the suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or punishment, irrespective of the good faith or the bad faith of the prosecution. 373 U.S. at 87, 83 S.Ct. 1194. To establish a Brady violation, a defendant must show (1) that the prosecution suppressed evidence; (2) that the evidence was favorable to the defense; and (3) that the evidence was material to an issue at trial. Conner v. State, 711 N.E.2d 1238, 1245-46 (Ind.1999) (citing Minnick v. State, 698 N.E.2d 745, 755 (1998)). The evidence is material under Brady if the defendant . . . establish[es] a reasonable probability that the result of the proceeding would be different if the State had disclosed [the] evidence. Azania v. State, 730 N.E.2d 646, 655 (Ind.2000) (citing Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 433-34, 115 S.Ct. 1555, 131 L.Ed.2d 490 (1995)). Finally, the State will not be found to have suppressed material information if that information was available to a defendant through the exercise of reasonable diligence. Conner, 711 N.E.2d at 1246 (citing United States v. Morris, 80 F.3d 1151, 1170 (7th Cir.1996)). Stephenson alleges that the State withheld a surveillance tape that corroborated the defense's version of events. In his statement to the police, Stephenson claimed that he spoke to the victims at Circle S, went to Mossberger's house, and then went home. Stephenson, 742 N.E.2d at 471. To investigate the truthfulness of Stephenson's statement, Officer Michael Hildebrand visited the Circle S. At trial Officer Hildebrand testified that the convenience store's surveillance tape already had been taped over when he went to review the videotape of the evening in question. The State argued that Stephenson's version of events as set forth in his statement to the police had to be inaccurate. Later at trial Stephenson testified that he was mistaken about the sequence of events and that he visited Mossberger first, went to Circle S, and then went home. At post-conviction review, Stephenson offered the affidavit of Lisa Huddleston, who was a clerk at the Circle S at all relevant times, to refute the testimony of Officer Hildebrand. The affidavit stated that Huddleston viewed the surveillance tape with an officer and that she saw both Stephenson and victim Southard on the tape. She did not offer testimony as to the time of the event shown on the tape. The defense asserts that [i]n the absence of any corroboration of Stephenson's statement, the State was able to argue that Stephenson lied. . . . Being able to show that he lied in his statement allowed the State to argue that Stephenson himself should not be believed. . . . The State argues that the affidavit does not establish that the police suppressed evidence and that, in any event, Stephenson has failed to show that the tape was material evidence. We agree. Stephenson has made no showing that the tape was not available to the defense in the exercise of reasonable diligence. More importantly, there is no basis to conclude that the State suppressed the evidence, as opposed to its being erased in the usual course of Circle S's security procedures. Huddleston's affidavit, if fully credited, established only that Stephenson and Southard were at the store at some point in time. The post-conviction court's conclusion that Stephenson failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the State suppressed evidence that was material to his guilt or punishment was not clearly erroneous.