Opinion ID: 574322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: denial of reuben sturman's discovery request

Text: 97 A Special Agent of the IRS, Richard N. Rosfelder, who was in charge of the investigation against the defendants, testified at trial about the investigation. Following his testimony, Reuben Sturman requested that the government produce several documents related to the testimony. Specifically, the defendant requested Rosfelder's Special Agent's Report outlining the investigation and suggesting indictment, the submissions to the Swiss government sent with the request for information under the Mutual Assistance Treaty, and the agent's grand jury testimony. The defendant claims that the government failed to produce 99% of the Special Agent's Report, the Swiss submissions, and 100 pages of grand jury testimony. The District Court held that the missing documents did not need to be produced and refused a request to conduct further voir dire of Special Agent Rosfelder to determine the contents of the documents. 98 A trial court's rulings on matters relating to the production of documents is reviewed under a clearly erroneous standard. United States v. Nathan, 816 F.2d 230 (6th Cir.1987). The defendant raises two arguments in support of his contention that the denial of his discovery motion was reversible error. 99 First, the defendant claims that the denial of the discovery motion violates the provisions of the Jencks Act. 18 U.S.C. § 3500 (1985). The Jencks Act addresses demands for the production of statements and reports of witnesses. Particularly, the statute provides: 100 After a witness called by the United States has testified on direct examination, the court shall, on motion of the defendant, order the United States to produce any statement (as hereinafter defined) of the witness in the possession of the United States which relates to the subject matter as to which the witness has testified. 10 101 It is clear that the submissions to the Swiss government do not fall under the protections of the Act since they were prepared and signed by government attorneys, were not a verbatim transcript of any statements made by the agent, and were not reviewed for accuracy by the agent. The Special Agent's Report was reviewed by the District Court and certain sections which appeared to be statements of the witness were ordered released to the defendant. The remainder of the document is an internal prosecution report, prepared prior to the events discussed under direct examination, and thus exempt from discovery under the Jencks Act. United States v. O'Keefe, 825 F.2d 314, 319 (11th Cir.1987). The defendant also protests the denial of discovery with respect to the redacted portions of the grand jury testimony. The government claims that these portions did not need to be given to the defendant since they did not relate to the direct testimony of the witness and merely summarized documentary evidence and discussed subjects of investigation other than Reuben Sturman. A review of the redacted portions of the testimony reveals that this assessment is accurate. 102 Second, the defendant raises a protest to the nondisclosure of these documents based on Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). The Supreme Court held in Brady that the suppression by the prosecution of evidence which is material to either guilt or punishment violates due process. This Court has held that, 103 if the government does fail to disclose Brady material, the defendant has a constitutional remedy for the nondisclosure only if the defendant can show that there is a reasonable probability that the omission deprived the defendant of a fair trial. 104 United States v. Presser, 844 F.2d 1275, 1282 (6th Cir.1988) (citation omitted) (emphasis in original). The defendant has failed to show a reasonable probability that he was denied a fair trial. The evidence supporting the defendant's conviction was substantial. No arguments were made which suggest the information withheld contains facts which go directly to the guilt or innocence of the defendants. Both this Court and the District Court, in their in camera review, found that they do not. The District Court did not err in denying Reuben Sturman's discovery motion. 105