Opinion ID: 4237534
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Destruction of evidence standard

Text: ¶18 In order for a state to have a constitutional duty to preserve evidence, the “evidence must both possess an exculpatory value that was apparent before the evidence was destroyed, and be of such a nature that the defendant would be unable to obtain comparable evidence by other reasonably available means.” Trombetta, 467 U.S. at 488–89; see also United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 112 (1976) (“[I]f the omitted evidence creates a reasonable doubt that did not otherwise exist, constitutional error has been committed. This means that the omission must be evaluated in the context of the entire record.”). On the other hand, where the evidence is only “potentially useful,” a defendant must show bad faith on the part of the police for the destruction of evidence to violate due process. Illinois v. Fisher, 540 U.S. 544, 547–48 (2004) (quoting Youngblood, 488 U.S. at 58); see also State v. Goudeau, 239 Ariz. 421, 442 ¶ 44 (2016). ¶19 Hulsey argues that when evidence is “constitutionally material,” “even in the absence of proof of bad faith[,] a defendant is entitled to relief under the Due Process Clause where the destroyed evidence is probably or likely exculpatory rather than in Youngblood only potentially exculpatory.” This is incorrect. We have held that “the same bad-faith test applies to identify violations of either the Arizona due process clause or the federal due process clause.” State v. Glissendorf, 235 Ariz. 147, 151 ¶ 14 (2014). The court here applied the proper standard. ¶20 Hulsey alternatively requests that this Court reconsider the scope of the bad faith requirement under due process mandates in our state constitution. We decline to do so. Our application of both Youngblood and Trombetta adequately encompasses fundamental fairness required by our state constitution whether the evidence is material and exculpatory or only potentially exculpatory.