Opinion ID: 344247
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Disclosure of Jencks Act Materials.

Text: 55 In a contention closely related to his immediately preceding one, appellant argues that the trial court erred in failing to dismiss the indictment for the failure of the Government to comply with the Court's order requiring the Government to deliver Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3500, materials to the defense two days prior to trial. 56 Although the appellant admits that the Jencks Act does not require disclosure of a witness' statement until the witness has testified, he contends that the trial judge abused his discretion by refusing to impose any sanctions against the Government attorneys for their noncompliance with the Court's order. 57 At the close of the Government's case, defense counsel was asked whether the disclosure of the Jencks Act material was satisfactory to the defendant. No objection was raised at that time. Though we are doubtful whether appellant may raise this issue for the first time on appeal, giving the appellant the benefit of such doubt, we find no abuse of discretion in the refusal of the trial judge to impose sanctions and hold that the motion was properly denied. This is not to say that, upon review, we would find fault in a trial judge who dealt sternly with an attorney who had failed to comply with the Court's order even though the order provided for earlier disclosure than the Jencks Act mandates. The Court clearly had discretion here, and it was not abused. 58