Opinion ID: 605585
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Levine Memorandum

Text: 24 The government's main witness was David Wheeler. In opening remarks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Nelson stated: 25 Now, ladies and gentlemen, David Wheeler is not the only witness in this case; but he is an important witness in that he, and the government will prove this, is the key to unlocking the door that led to the Mexicans and the Bolivians. 26 David Wheeler was a key, and that key had to be put in the lock and turned; and if the cuts on the key weren't right, the lock wouldn't open, so the agents tested them. 27 RT II at 160. David Wheeler was so central to the government's case at the end of the trial that the government argued in closing: 28 If David Wheeler never went to the stash, never saw the cocaine, never unwrapped the package and that's a figment of his imagination, then you, ladies and gentlemen, should acquit all of the Bolivian defendants and Mr. Mendez-Duenas also; but I do believe that--but I submit to you, the evidence is to the contrary. 29 RT XXXV at 5918. 30 David Wheeler had been involved in illegal drug operations for twenty-five years prior to his arrest in Oklahoma. He testified he very often lied and convinced individuals that he was someone he was not. He testified that he had worked as a screenwriter and had connections in Hollywood. The government portrayed Wheeler as someone who had a very sordid past yet could be believed in this case: 31 It's like a doctor who's convicted of a serious felony, and he goes to prison.... When he goes to prison, while in prison, he does research and solves the cancer riddle ... [i]s he a good man or a bad man? He's a man, ladies and gentlemen. He's a complex individual. At one time, he did good things. At one time, he did bad things. 32 You can't generalize. You have got to look at the man and the situation. That's what I am asking you to do here. 33 I am asking you to go beyond the name calling and the character assassination, and to zero in on David Wheeler[.] 34 RT XXXVII at 6255-56. 35 In final arguments, the government discredited the defendants' attempts to impugn Wheeler's credibility. The government argued: 36 David Wheeler agreed to put it on the line. He went undercover. He exposed himself to great danger. He went down into Mexico, with no backup, no gun, no radio. He went down to Bolivia, went out into the Beni, met Winston Rodriguez and Pato Pizarro, the defendants in this case. 37 He went out to see the labs and the cocaine. He was grilled by Pato Pizarro. He was grilled by Winston Rodriguez. 38 [I]f David Wheeler hasn't passed the test, David Wheeler would not have come back from Bolivia. 39 .... 40 David Wheeler was like an astronaut. Floating, at the third space station. When he was in Bolivia, the only link he had was a commercial phone link with George Urquijo up in San Diego. 41 ... David Wheeler was acutely aware of what he was looking at and the dangers involved. Is Dave Wheeler a saint? No. Is David Wheeler a choir boy? No. Is he going to get the Nobel Peace Prize? No. He assuredly is not. 42 You don't have to like David Wheeler; but, ladies and gentlemen, I suggest, when you look at all of the facts, his role in this case, you have to acknowledge that what he did took a lot of courage; and no amount of name calling and character assassination can alter that fact. 43 RT XXXVII at 6251-53. 44 On appeal, the defendants contend that the government withheld crucial information bearing on Wheeler's credibility. After the trial, the defendants became aware of a government memorandum written by Michael Levine (the Levine Memorandum), a retired Drug Enforcement Agency Group Supervisor and a witness for the government. That memorandum, which was directed to Special Agent James Collier of the Office of Professional Responsibility, was highly critical of Wheeler's integrity and role during the course of the undercover investigation. 45 Two months before trial the government moved, ex parte, for a protective order regarding the Levine Memorandum and related materials. The trial court reviewed the documents and agreed that the Levine Memorandum should be sealed. The defendants were given a six-page redacted version of the original forty-two page report. 3 Previously, they had been given a seven page report prepared by Levine on December 29, 1987, entitled Undercover Negotiations for Attempted Purchase of 1,000 Kilograms of Cocaine, which was attached to the Levine Memorandum for the ex parte proceeding. The government contended at the proceeding that the forty-two page report was merely an editorialized or amplified version of the seven page report prepared on December 29, 1987. 46 After we heard oral argument in this appeal, the government released the entire Levine Memorandum and attachments to the defendants. We ordered supplemental briefing from the parties on what effect, if any, the withholding of this information had on the defense. 47 We conclude that the withholding of the Levine Memorandum and related documents violated the defendants' right to due process under the rule of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 87, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 1196, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), which provides that exculpatory material in the government's possession must be released to criminal defendants. 4 Evidence impeaching the testimony of a government witness falls within the Brady rule when the reliability of the witness may be determinative of a criminal defendant's guilt or innocence. Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 154, 92 S.Ct. 763, 766, 31 L.Ed.2d 104 (1972). We also conclude that the withholding violated the Jencks Act, which entitles a defendant to access to government documents for assistance in cross-examination of witnesses in order to impeach for prior inconsistent statements.