Opinion ID: 1802709
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Influence Of Calderon

Text: Jimenez also asserts that the State committed (1) a Brady violation when it failed to disclose information with regard to the influence of Calderon and (2) a Giglio [7] violation when it presented false evidence with regard to the influence of Calderon. Jimenez contends that he was the victim of a tainted and biased investigation orchestrated by Calderon, who was supposedly a known member of a drug cartel. Calderon allegedly wished to retaliate against Jimenez because Jimenez had an affair with his girlfriend, Debas, who was subsequently also murdered. After the Miami Beach Police Department failed to initially charge Jimenez for the death of Debas, Calderon decided to conduct his own investigation of Jimenez and employed the services of a private investigator named Sessler. When Minas was subsequently murdered in North Miami, Sessler provided the North Miami Police Department with the findings from the investigation concerning Jimenez that he had already conducted for Calderon. This allegedly caused the North Miami Police Department, which was neither neutral nor detached, to target Jimenez unfairly for the murder of Minas. This subclaim is procedurally barred because it is not based on newly discovered evidence. Instead, it had long been common knowledge that the North Miami Police Department was given information that originated from the investigation orchestrated by Calderon. Jimenez's counsel deposed Sessler on July 11, 1996. During this deposition, Sessler acknowledged that he had been retained by Calderon for the purposes of investigating Debas's death. Additionally, Sessler stated that he had investigated whether Jimenez had been involved in the death of Debas and the file from this investigation may have been given to the North Miami Police Department. Finally, Sessler testified that he had prepared reports from this investigation and those reports had been disclosed to the State. Further, when Jimenez's trial counsel deposed Detective Diecidue on December 13, 1995, he confirmed that Sessler had provided him with information concerning Jimenez's possible involvement in the death of Debas while the investigation for the murder of Minas was ongoing. Thus, Jimenez possessed the necessary information to assert this subclaim in the amended rule 3.850 motion years ago. Even without this procedural bar, the subclaim is without merit. First, the Brady claim is without merit because there could be no prejudice to Jimenez. Jimenez has not established a reasonable probabilityi.e., a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome that the jury would have reached an alternative verdict had the suppressed evidence been disclosed. See Strickler, 527 U.S. at 289, 119 S.Ct. 1936. If evidence of Calderon's influence had been presented during the trial, this would have opened the door to potentially damaging evidence concerning Jimenez's involvement in the death of Debas. Thus, there is not a reasonable probability that if this information with regard to the influence of Calderon had been disclosed to Jimenez, the jury would have reached an alternative verdict. Additionally, we conclude that the Giglio claim concerning the influence of Calderon is without merit. To establish a Giglio violation, it must be shown that: (1) the testimony given was false; (2) the prosecutor knew the testimony was false; and (3) the statement was material. Guzman v. State, 868 So.2d 498, 505 (Fla. 2003). Jimenez has not asserted that any false testimony with regard to the influence of Calderon was presented during the trial. Instead, Jimenez merely contends that the State colluded with Sessler in his assertion of a privilege during a deposition to prevent disclosure of the reports that he had prepared. However, this supposed false testimony was not presented during the trial, so it cannot form the basis for a Giglio claim.