Opinion ID: 2824552
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The prosecution’s secret deal with Thomas

Text: In 1986, Silva’s counsel learned that before Shelton’s and Silva’s trials, Thomas’s attorney, Rex Gay, approached SHELTON V. MARSHALL 13 Lassen County District Attorney Paul DePasquale, the prosecutor in both cases, and “indicated . . . that [Gay] believed that Mr. Thomas was either unable to cooperate in his own defense, or insane.” Prior to this, Gay had also obtained a protective order prohibiting the undersheriff from speaking with Thomas “based on the belief that he was incapable of understanding [his] rights.” Prior to the crimes, Thomas had suffered a severe motorcycle accident resulting in an extended coma, and Gay “noted a certain slowness in his mannerisms and a defect in his speech pattern.” Gay told DePasquale that he “had immediate plans to have [Thomas] interviewed by two psychiatrists.” DePasquale agreed with Gay that he would be unable to obtain a conviction of either Silva or Shelton without Thomas’s cooperation. DePasquale and Gay also agreed that a psychiatric analysis of Thomas would “supply ammunition to the defense.” They then reached a plea agreement in which Gay would refrain from having Thomas psychiatrically examined, Thomas would testify against Shelton and Silva, and DePasquale would drop murder charges against Thomas. The portion of the deal pertaining to Thomas’s mental competency was not disclosed to either Shelton or Silva. Indeed, Shelton first learned about it when he read this Court’s 2005 decision granting habeas relief to Silva.