Opinion ID: 1212322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Alleged Suppression of Evidence by the State

Text: Whatley forced Bunn at gunpoint to lie on the floor next to the cash register during the robbery, and Bunn remained there until all of the shooting had stopped. The theory presented to the jury by the State at trial was that, as Whatley began backing away from the service counter, he fired twice, once at Allen at close range and once downward toward Bunn. Bunn's testimony under direct examination in the guilt/innocence phase was consistent with this theory, as he maintained that he had heard two shots fired before Allen stepped over him to pursue Whatley. Trial counsel then cross-examined Bunn by specifically referring to a statement Bunn made to police on the night of the murder, January 26, 1995. The written investigative summary counsel was referring to in his cross-examination reports that Bunn stated as follows on January 26: [Whatley] moved off of me and backed around the counter, when he went around the counter and Ed come around over top of me going after him. I don't know where he was. I was still laying on the floor when I heard the shot. Counsel did not read this statement aloud at trial but, instead, simply had the witness himself acknowledge that he did not tell the police in his January 26 interview that shots were fired before Allen stepped over him. Counsel specifically stated that it was the January 26 interview that he was relying on in forming his questions to Bunn. Bunn explained his account in his January 26 interview regarding the timing of the shots by stating that he was upset during that interview. Counsel, by pointing out to Bunn that Allen had not bled on him, was also able to get Bunn to admit on cross-examination that he did not know when Allen was shot. Whatley testified in the sentencing phase to a version of events different from Bunn's: Whatley claimed that he never intended to shoot anyone and that he fired at Allen only after Allen pulled out his gun. At the habeas hearing, Whatley presented an audio recording [2] of an interview of Bunn that was conducted the day after the murder, January 27. Whatley obtained the recording through an Open Records Act request to the Griffin Police Department, which request was legally available only after Whatley's criminal case was concluded. [3] Like the January 26 statement used by counsel at trial, part of the January 27 interview at least arguably suggests that Allen stepped over Bunn to pursue Whatley before any shots were fired. Bunn stated as follows in the January 27 interview: [Whatley] done got the money and all, you know. I figured he's going on out, and that's when I see Ed go over me, and he went out, and that's when the shooting and all starts. However, earlier in this January 27 interview, Bunn gave a different chronology, stating as follows: Then [Whatley] got off me, and backed around the corner, you know. I guess he was going on back toward the door. I heard something start shooting. Then I seen Ed come across me, on around the corner, too. Next thing I know I just kept hearing, ya know, gun shots. Thus, at the most, the January 27 interview contains two contradictory chronologies, one placing the shooting before Allen stepped over Bunn to pursue Whatley and one placing the shooting after. Furthermore, in between these two arguably contradictory chronologies in the January 27 interview, Bunn expressed uncertainty when asked specifically whether the shots began before or after Allen stepped over him and went around the corner of the counter. Bunn was then further asked, Who started shooting? He responded as follows: I guess [Whatley]. But, you know, I don't know. He then provided the following explanation for his uncertainty: [I]t happened so quick, and I'm all shook up, too. Whatley argues that his cross-examination of Bunn would have been enhanced if counsel had been provided the January 27 interview, particularly because counsel could have emphasized that, although Bunn might have been confused because he was upset on January 26, he would have calmed down by January 27 and would have given a more accurate account of the crime. Whatley argues that the portion of the January 27 interview in which Bunn arguably indicated that Allen began to pursue Whatley before any shots were fired could have been used to show that Whatley did not enter the store with the intent to commit murder, which the jury might have found mitigating in the sentencing phase.
The habeas court correctly found that this claim, at least as an initial matter, is barred by procedural default because it was not raised in the trial court or on direct appeal. [4] However, the bar to procedurally defaulted claims can be overcome by satisfying the cause and prejudice test. [5] Because the habeas court applied the cause and prejudice test in a manner we found questionable, we directed the parties to address that issue on appeal.
The cause portion of the cause and prejudice test is satisfied where evidence was concealed from [the defendant] by the State at the time of trial and direct appeal. [6] Thus, the cause prong of the cause and prejudice test would be satisfied in Whatley's case if the facts showed that trial counsel was not given notice of and access to the contents of the January 27 statement. Without any detailed analysis, the habeas court found that Whatley had failed to show cause for his failure to raise this claim in the trial court and on direct appeal, concluding that the claim was available for presentation at that time. We find that the habeas court's finding of an absence of cause to excuse the procedural default was erroneous. In its analysis of the prejudice prong of the cause and prejudice test, which is discussed below, the habeas court found that a review of trial counsel's cross-examination questions and Mr. Bunn's responses to these questions showed trial counsel's awareness of the January 27 interview. A review of the trial transcript does not support this finding of fact. Trial counsel's cross-examination questions about Tommy Bunn's having failed to inform police that shots were fired before Allen began to pursue Whatley could have been derived from the January 26 interview, the January 27 interview, or both. However, trial counsel specifically stated in his cross-examination that he was relying on the January 26 interview. Although not discussed in the habeas court's order, the district attorney conceded in his habeas testimony that he had not been provided the January 27 interview by the police department and, therefore, that trial counsel would not have had access to it. Trial counsel, having passed away, was not available to give habeas testimony on the subject; however, the January 27 interview was not contained in trial counsel's file, and the defense investigator testified that he had not been aware that the interview existed. In light of the trial transcript and the uncontradicted habeas testimony, including an admission by the district attorney, we find that the habeas court's finding of fact that the January 27 interview was available to counsel at trial and on direct appeal was clearly erroneous. The State's duty to disclose exculpatory evidence applies to every part of the State that is involved in the prosecution, which, of course, would include the police department in Whatley's case. [7] Given the fact that the State bore this duty of disclosure and given the absence of any reason to believe trial counsel should have been aware of the likelihood of a second, arguably contradictory interview of Bunn, the failure of trial counsel to discover the undisclosed interview should not be ascribed to a lack of reasonable diligence. [8] Accordingly, we conclude that Whatley has shown cause for his failure to raise his claim regarding the undisclosed January 27 interview at trial and on direct appeal.
Although Whatley has shown cause to excuse the procedural default to this evidence suppression claim, he must also satisfy the prejudice prong of the cause and prejudice test before his claim can be considered on its merits. However, because the prejudice necessary to satisfy the cause and prejudice test is a prejudice of constitutional proportions and because an evidence suppression claim is a constitutional claim, the prejudice analysis and the analysis of the merits of the evidence suppression claim are co-extensive. [9] As was noted above, the habeas court found that trial counsel's cross-examination of Tommy Bunn showed trial counsel's awareness of the statements Mr. Bunn made during this interview that was allegedly suppressed. However, we have concluded that this finding was clearly erroneous. Thus, the habeas court's resolution of the prejudice question rests on an erroneous finding of fact. The habeas court's error does not necessarily mean, however, that Whatley can demonstrate prejudice. Even though the facts show without contradiction that Whatley was not provided the January 27 interview before trial and direct appeal, we must consider whether his not having the interview created prejudice of constitutional proportions. To show that, Whatley must demonstrate that he can prevail on his underlying evidence suppression claim, which requires a showing of each of the following: (1) the State possessed evidence favorable to the defendant; (2) the defendant did not possess the favorable evidence and could not obtain it himself with any reasonable diligence; (3) the State suppressed the favorable evidence; and (4) had the evidence been disclosed to the defense, a reasonable probability exists that the outcome of the trial would have been different. [10] We conclude that Whatley has failed to satisfy the fourth element, a showing that having the January 27 interview at trial would have created a reasonable probability of a different outcome. As we noted above, the January 27 interview arguably contains contradictory statements by Tommy Bunn regarding whether the first shots were fired before or after Ed Allen began to pursue Whatley, as well as statements expressing uncertainty regarding the timing of those shots. However, Bunn himself ultimately testified under cross-examination at trial that he could not recall whether the shots came first or whether Allen's stepping over him to pursue Whatley came first. Thus, the jury, either with or without being presented with the full January 27 interview, would have concluded that Bunn could not be relied upon to establish a detailed chronology. Furthermore, the district attorney persuasively argued that Whatley must have fired at Allen before Allen was armed, because Allen was shot in the chest at a range of 15 to 18 inches and because it otherwise would have been unlikely for Whatley to have shot Allen in the chest from such a close distance without being shot himself by Allen somewhere other than just in the leg. Furthermore, Whatley's account of events cannot be reasonably reconciled with the testimony at trial indicating that he fired a shot toward either Allen or Bunn from a distance of merely eight inches from the service counter. We conclude as a matter of law that there would not have been a reasonable probability of a different outcome at trial if Whatley had been provided the January 27 interview and, therefore, that he can neither show merit to his underlying evidence suppression claim nor satisfy the prejudice prong of the cause and prejudice test, issues that are co-extensive. [11]