Opinion ID: 1990001
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Prosecutorial Misconduct in Withholding Evidence

Text: Finally, Pilot claims that the prosecutor committed prejudicial misconduct by failing to provide Pilot with a report regarding seminal fluid taken from H.T. after the attack and failing to provide Pilot with from 500 to 600 pages of hospital records of H.T.'s physical therapy after the assault. The decision to grant a new trial because of prosecutorial misconduct rests within the district court's discretion and will be reversed only where the misconduct, in light of the entire record, appears to be so inexcusable and prejudicial that the defendant's right to a fair trial was denied. State v. Wahlberg, 296 N.W.2d 408, 420 (Minn.1980). As to the report regarding seminal fluid taken from H.T. after the assault, the record does not reveal when the prosecutor received the report or whether the report was turned over to the defense in a timely manner. The prosecutor contends that he did turn over the report and that, even if he did not, no prejudice can be asserted because the report was non-exculpatory. As to the hospital records containing information about H.T.'s physical therapy, the district court concluded that the information contained in the hospital records was irrelevant to Pilot's case, but nevertheless granted him a half-day recess to review the records. The records were never introduced at trial. In light of the other overwhelming evidence of Pilot's guilt, the failure to turn over a report containing information about unidentifiable seminal fluid and hospital records containing no exculpatory information was clearly not prejudicial. Affirmed.