Opinion ID: 2332719
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Alleged Exculpatory Evidence

Text: On May 11, 1999, two weeks into Appellant's trial, while defense counsel was reviewing notes that Detective Rolfson had used during his testimony, counsel discovered an e-mail that was first sent to police on July 5, 1998. The e-mail, sent by an individual named Art McNeil, stated that McNeil had heard another person called Dewey had provided Appellant transportation to the Williamson's house on June 25th and had possibly participated in the crimes. Defense counsel immediately moved for a continuance, as well as for exclusion of the death penalty as a sanction for the nondisclosure by the Commonwealth. The trial court granted the continuance but denied the motion for sanctions. Later the same day, a further hearing revealed that a Dewey Jump had been previously interviewed by police and had an alibi. In fact, Jump was the boyfriend of Dawn Godsey. Godsey testified that she and Jump had gone to Warsaw, Kentucky on Wednesday, June 24th, and had not returned until 4:30-5:00 p.m. the following day, after the crimes had been committed. The Commonwealth defended that the McNeil e-mail was not exculpatory evidence but merely rumor and speculation. The Commonwealth noted that all statements from Jump and Godsey had previously been provided to the defense. There is some allegation that defense counsel was already aware of the e-mail as well, however nothing in the record supports such a conclusion. The following day, defense counsel informed the trial court that they had investigated the matter and that additional time was unnecessary. The trial thereafter continued. We cannot agree with Appellant that the information contained in the e-mail was exculpatory or that he was prejudiced by the Commonwealth's alleged failure to disclose such. Godsey was a defense witness and defense counsel had the opportunity to thoroughly question her about Jump's alibi. Furthermore, no steps were even taken to discover who Art McNeil was, and whether his information was credible. In the absence of any supporting evidence, the e-mail was nothing more than unsubstantiated rumor. The trial court granted Appellant's request for a continuance and we conclude that no further relief was warranted.