Opinion ID: 787546
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Intimidated Witness Claim

Text: 46 Clemons claims that the prosecutor intimidated witness Michael Chapey into not testifying at trial. 8 Clemons planned to introduce Chapey's evidence to impeach Winfrey, the state's witness, and one of the men on the bridge that night. Chapey and Winfrey were incarcerated together at some point in time after these crimes occurred. Chapey claimed that after he appeared on Clemons's trial witness list, the prosecutor visited his cell and threatened retaliation in future (theoretical) criminal prosecutions. The district court granted an evidentiary hearing on this claim. The hearing revealed that, instead, Chapey called the prosecutor to his jail cell and asked if he could help with his parole adjudication. The prosecutor responded that he was not in the business of helping out defense witnesses. The district court determined that Chapey's testimony was not credible, stating: 47 I find from the evidence presented to me that Chapey is a very uncredible [sic] witness. Chapey impressed me as someone who only does what will help Chapey. I certainly do not believe him about what he claims Daniel Winfrey told him, and I find it unlikely that a jury would have believed him either. He has admitted that he was willing to change his testimony in whatever way would benefit him, and had he been called as a witness, there is no telling what he would have actually said. 48 Clemons II, 212 F.Supp.2d at 1125. 49 This factual finding by the district court was not clearly erroneous. Furthermore, we agree with the district court's legal conclusion that the outcome of Clemons's trial would not have been different if Chapey had testified. See Peeler v. Wyrick, 734 F.2d 378, 381-82 (8th Cir.1984) (holding that harmless error rule applies for habeas corpus witness intimidation claim).