Opinion ID: 2640195
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence

Text: Wilkins also argues that the prosecutor committed misconduct by withholding exculpatory evidence, specifically the Gray grant of immunity, the Bittle plea agreement, and the reports of Gray's polygraph tests. A prosecutor's withholding of exculpatory evidence is misconduct that implicates constitutional rights, regardless of the prosecutor's good or bad faith. See Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 87, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). There are three components or essential elements of a Brady prosecutorial misconduct claim: `The evidence at issue must be favorable to the accused, either because it is exculpatory, or because it is impeaching; that evidence must have been suppressed by the State, either willfully or inadvertently; and prejudice must have ensued.' Banks v. Dretke, 540 U.S. 668, 691, 124 S.Ct. 1256, 157 L.Ed.2d 1166 (2004) (quoting Strickler v. Greene, 527 U.S. 263, 281-82, 119 S.Ct. 1936,144 L.Ed.2d 286 [1999]); Haddock v. State, 282 Kan. 475, 506-507, 146 P.3d 187 (2006). As this court has outlined the analysis: `When the withholding of evidence by the prosecution is not deliberate and in bad faith and when the prosecution has not refused to honor a request for the evidence made at a proper stage of the proceedings, a defendant should be granted a new trial only if the record establishes that: (1) the evidence was withheld or suppressed by the prosecution; (2) the evidence was clearly exculpatory; and (3) the evidence was so material that its omission from the trial was clearly prejudicial to the defendant. [Citation omitted.]' State v. McCarty, 271 Kan. 510, 514, 23 P.3d 829 (2001) (quoting Taylor v. State, 251 Kan. 272, 293-94, 834 P.2d 1325 [1992]). Wilkins' first obstacle to obtaining relief on this issue is procedural. He is required to show exceptional circumstances excusing his failure to raise it at trial or on direct appeal. See Supreme Court Rule 183(c) (2007 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 243); Bledsoe v. State, 283 Kan. 81, 88, 150 P.3d 868 (2007); Johnson v. State, 271 Kan. 534, 535, 24 P.3d 92 (2001). We have said that a movant in Wilkins' position can overcome a procedural default, i.e., a failure to raise an issue at trial or on direct appeal, by persuading the court that there was (1) ineffective assistance of trial counsel; (2) ineffective assistance of direct appeal counsel; or (3) newly discovered evidence or an unforeseeable change in circumstances or constitutional law unknown to counsel and the movant at the time of trial and direct appeal. Bledsoe, 283 Kan. at 88-89, 150 P.3d 868. Fleming testified at the K.S.A. 60-1507 hearing that he had received more than 1,000 documents from the prosecutor under the open-file policy, and he could not verify all of the contents of his file because it had since been destroyed. The trial transcript makes clear, however, that he was at least generally aware of Gray's immunity and Bittle's plea agreement; both were discussed in some detail before the jury. We therefore hold that, even if Wilkins could prove that the prosecution failed to disclose the documents memorializing the Gray and Bittle deals, this failure cannot support Wilkins' Brady claim, raised for the first time on his K.S.A. 60-1507 motion. The defense was aware at the time of trial of at least the probable existence of the documents; it was aware of their essential contents; and it capitalized upon its awareness. There are no exceptional circumstances excusing Wilkins' failure to make that part of his Brady argument dependent upon these documents at trial or on direct appeal. The situation is different on the reports of Gray's polygraph examinations. Fleming was certain that the reports were not among the documents he reviewed in preparation for Wilkins' trial. Thus there is substantial competent evidence in the record that the State failed to produce the reports to the defense pursuant to the prosecutor's open-file policy. This satisfies the first component of a Brady claim. Wilkins also can demonstrate that the reports were exculpatory; the examiner's conclusions that Gray was deceptive had a tendency to discredit him generally and a tendency to discredit him specifically on whether he had participated personally in causing Shipley's death. We have held that evidence tending to discredit a key prosecution witness is exculpatory and should be disclosed by the State. State v. Kelly, 216 Kan. 31, 36-37, 531 P.2d 60 (1975) (quoting Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 92 S.Ct. 763, 31 L.Ed.2d 104 [1972]). Even then, however, Wilkins must also show that the evidence was material, i.e., that the failure to disclose it was prejudicial to his case. [E]vidence is material only if there is a reasonable probability that, had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceeding would have been different. `A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine the confidence of the outcome.' [Citation omitted]. Haddock, 282 Kan. at 507, 146 P.3d 187. This is where Wilkins' Brady claim breaks down. As discussed above, polygraph results are inadmissible in Kansas. See Shively, 268 Kan. at 579, 999 P.2d 952. Moreover, even if admissible, the reports would not have exonerated Wilkins. Their principal value was mere reinforcement of evidence already before the jury on Gray's doubt about whether Shipley had died between the shooting and the sinking in the pond. This would not have been enough to prompt the jury to arrive at a not guilty verdict on Wilkins.