Opinion ID: 2996793
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Disclosure of the BATF Report

Text: Gillaum next argues that the government failure to disclose the BATF report entitles him to a new trial because the No. 02-4015 15 BATF report constitutes newly discovered evidence or because the failure of the government to disclose the report constitutes a Brady violation. Gillaum argues that the report corroborates his testimony and the testimony of two of his children that Stinson brought the gun into the apartment and sold it to Ross. The district court held that Gillaum had not shown that the report was material or that the evidence would have been favorable to him and thus denied Gillaum’s motion for a new trial. The decision to grant a new trial is committed “to the sound discretion of the trial judge.” United States v. Woolfolk, 197 F.3d 900, 904 (7th Cir. 1999). This court approaches motions for a new trial “with great caution and [is] wary of second guessing the determinations of both judge and jury.” Id. (quoting United States v. DePriest, 6 F.3d 1201, 1216 (7th Cir. 1993)). To be entitled to a new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence, a defendant must show (1) the defendant became aware of the evidence only after trial; (2) the defendant could not, by exercising due diligence, have discovered the evidence sooner; (3) the evidence is material; and (4) in the event of a new trial, the evidence would probably lead to an acquittal. United States v. McClurge, 311 F.3d 866, 874 (7th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___ , 123 S. Ct. 2101 (2003). Where the defendant alleges a Brady violation, the defendant is entitled to a new trial when the defendant can establish “(1) that the prosecution suppressed evidence; (2) that the evidence was favorable to the defense; and (3) that the evidence was material to an issue at trial.” United States v. Silva, 71 F.3d 667, 670 (7th Cir. 1995). We address here only the materiality of the BATF report—the probability that the presentation of the report would have led to a different outcome in the trial. As this court has held, “[e]vidence is material [under Brady] only if 16 No. 02-4015 there exists a ‘reasonable probability’ that its disclosure to the defense would have changed the result of the trial.” United States v. Irorere, 228 F.3d 816, 829 (7th Cir. 2000). The question is “whether in [the absence of the suppressed evidence, the defendant] received a fair trial, understood as a trial resulting in a verdict worthy of confidence. A ‘reasonable probability’ of a different result is accordingly shown when the government’s evidentiary suppression ‘undermines confidence in the outcome of the trial.’ ” Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 434 (1985) (quoting United States v. Bagley, 473 U.S. 667, 678 (1985)). “[T]he effect that a particular piece of evidence is likely to have had on the outcome of a trial must be determined in light of the full context of the weight and credibility of all evidence actually presented at trial.” Silva, 71 F.3d at 670. In this case, the question for the jury was whether Gillaum, a convicted felon, possessed the handgun. The critical evidence at trial was the testimony of Gillaum and Greiber. Greiber testified that Gillaum told him that he knew the gun was in the bedroom, he had handled the gun, and had cycled ammunition through it. Gillaum testified that he had not made these statements to Greiber. Gillaum also testified that the gun belonged to Ross and that he had ordered Ross to get the gun out of his apartment. As the government points out, and as the district court noted in its decision to deny Gillaum’s motion, the government never challenged Gillaum’s testimony concerning how the gun came to Gillaum’s apartment. Had the BATF report been properly disclosed to the defense, there would not have been a reasonable probability No. 02-4015 17 4 the report would have changed the outcome of trial. In this case, the history of the gun prior to entering Gillaum’s apartment is immaterial. Put differently, a jury could have considered the BATF report, found it persuasive, and still reached the same decision. The BATF report, if accurate (the police report attached to the BATF report only recited Hesterly’s belief that the gun was stolen by Stinson), corroborates only a portion of Gillaum’s presentation, that Stinson stole the handgun, an issue the government did not need to dispute. Cf. United States v. Thomas, 321 F.3d 627, 634 (7th Cir. 2003) (“[T]he government is not required to show how [a defendant] acquired the firearm, just that he had possession of one. Even if he held a gun only to inspect it, [the defendant] would be guilty under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).”); United States v. Lane, 267 F.3d 715, 718 (7th Cir. 2001) (“Physical control over a gun is remarkably easy to effect.”). The report adds nothing to the issue in dispute— that Gillaum had possession of the handgun. Evidence that corroborates a portion of a defendant’s story that is not directly relevant to the crime charged does not justify a finding of materiality under Brady. Duest v. Singletary, 967 F.2d 472, 479 (11th Cir. 1992), vacated on other grounds, 507 U.S. 1048 (1993); see also Lingle v. Iowa, 195 F.3d 1023, 1026 (8th Cir. 1999) (holding that medical report was not material for Brady purposes where report, at best, showed lack of vaginal penetration of sexual abuse victim; penetration was not necessary for conviction of sexual abuse of a minor under Iowa law); United States v. Booz, 451 F.2d 719, 725 (3d 4 We do not mean to suggest that the government’s actions were proper. Like the district court, we find it difficult to understand why the government failed to turn over the burglary report to Gillaum. We only suggest that here, the failure does not merit a new trial for Gillaum. 18 No. 02-4015 Cir. 1971) (finding no Brady violation where withheld statements corroborated a portion of defendant’s story related to the defendant’s whereabouts in the hours after the time of crime but did not corroborate the portion of the defendant’s story involving the defendant’s whereabouts at the time of the crime). There is not a reasonable probability that the BATF report would have changed the outcome under Brady. Thus it is not probable that the introduction of the BATF report in a new trial would lead to an acquittal under Rule 33.