Opinion ID: 1894755
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Failure to Disclose Death of Confidential Informant.

Text: Finally, applicant urges the State was under a duty to disclose the death of the confidential informant prior to the time of the postconviction hearing to afford him an opportunity to request the release of the informant's testimony before the committee. The record reflects that the confidential informant upon whose testimony the applicant was charged died of natural causes in February 1986 at a prison hospital facility in Clarinda, Iowa. The district court postconviction proceedings commenced on September 8, 1986. Prior to that time, applicant had attempted to subpoena the informant, a circumstance which suggests he had learned of his identity. The sheriff made a return of service indicating that the subpoena could not be served at the penitentiary because the inmate had been transferred to Clarinda. The applicant made no further attempt to subpoena the informant at Clarinda. On the day of the postconviction hearing, counsel for the State advised applicant's counsel that the informant was deceased. Applicant made no effort upon learning this information to seek a release of confidential information and proceeded to trial on the basis of having the district court make an in camera inspection of the same confidential information which had been presented to the disciplinary committee. We fail to see how applicant's failure to learn of the informant's death prior to the day of the postconviction hearing affords him any basis for additional relief beyond that which was granted to him in the district court's order. The validity of the proceedings of the disciplinary committee must be adjudicated based upon the circumstances existing at the time the hearing was held. The need to maintain confidentiality of the informant's statements at that time has been established by the State. The applicant has stated no reason as to how the informant's subsequent death could taint the fairness of that proceeding. We have considered all arguments urged by the applicant in support of additional relief and conclude that they are without merit. The judgment of the district court is affirmed. AFFIRMED.