Opinion ID: 280190
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Government Suppressed Evidence Favorable to Appellants

Text: 17 Appellants allege that the prosecution refused to make available to the defense one James Binford, a former cashier at Charters, whose testimony would have refuted that of Fudge. This contention deserves but brief comment. The record indicates that Binford was an employee of Charters and at the time of the trial was working for Light and Dermer in another enterprise. It appears that while in New York for the trial, he roomed with the appellants at their hotel. 5 Thus it is not credible to believe that the government was guilty of suppressing his whereabouts. After Fudge's testimony, appellants' counsel represented that he desired to confer with Binford and possibly call him as a witness. When the trial resumed the following day, no further continuance was sought. Appellants cannot now argue for a new trial based on the existence of what is now claimed might have been favorable evidence, without first clearly establishing to the trial court that this evidence was unavailable to them at the time of trial. United States v. Abrams, 357 F.2d 539, 550 (2d Cir.1966); United States v. Costello, 255 F.2d 876, 879 (2d Cir.1958), cert. denied, 357 U.S. 937, 78 S.Ct. 1385, 2 L.Ed.2d 1551 (1958).