Opinion ID: 4470376
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The forensic testing reports

Text: Long claims that in failing to disclose these reports, the State “painted a picture of a very limited forensic investigation, when in fact the forensic investigation was extensive.” Pet’r’s. Br. 10. According to Long, the negative results reflected in the reports tend to prove his innocence. And he contends that the cumulative effect of the reports with negative findings “would have bolstered and supported the arguments his counsel made,” such that “a jury would have been less likely to convict with each successive negative result.” Id. at 37–38. The state court discounted this evidence, and the state court’s determination was not unreasonable. The absence of a match is “neither incriminating nor exonerating.” Case v. 19 Hatch, 731 F.3d 1015, 1043 (10th Cir. 2013); see also Gary v. Hall, 558 F.3d 1229, 1257 (11th Cir. 2009). The state court took this view, explaining that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. See J.A. 1357–58; cf. P.E. Kish and H. L. MacDonell, Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence, 46 J. FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION 160–64 (1996). And, as Long and the state court acknowledge, the reports’ conclusions about the hair, paint or carpet fibers, matchbooks, and shoeprint testing mirror the testimony at trial. See J.A. 1357 (“[T]he agent’s testimony at trial was consistent with his report and the jury learned everything that was contained in the report yet found the defendant guilty of all charges.”). In addition, cumulative evidence “is generally not considered material for Brady purposes.” Johnson v. Folino, 705 F.3d 117, 129 (3d Cir. 2013). Thus, we cannot say that it was unreasonable for the state court to discount the reports of the forensic testing actually conducted.