Opinion ID: 8704059
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Allegedly Withheld Evidence

Text: Defendant argues that the government altered recorded evidence and withheld exculpatory recorded evidence in their presentations during trial. See, e.g., ECF No. 155 at 12. Specifically, defendant argues that a recorded conversation between defendant and Jerome Thomas lacked a critical segment when played in Court. See, e.g., ECF No. 144 at 4; ECF No. 146 at 7. Defendant contends that earlier in the recording, he indicated his consent to record the conversation, but that this information was excluded from what was presented in Court. Defendant believes that this earlier statement in the recording would make the later statements seem less criminal in nature. Defendant states that he did not learn about the exclusion of evidence until “he received the trial transcripts ... and read the details of a conference he had been excluded from.” ECF No. 144 at 4. Unfortunately for defendant, this evidence, which consists of defendant’s own statements in a recording made prior to trial, is not in any way “newly-discovered.” See Howard, 267 F.Supp.2d at 4. Moreover, to the extent that the excluded excerpt was discussed during a bench conference at trial, defendant’s counsel was also expressly made aware of the excluded portion if she had not been aware of it before. Accordingly, this evidence cannot be the basis for a new trial.