Court Opinion

ID: 9724686
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 11:08:46.363172+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:10:31.313408
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE GOLDENHERSH, concurring in part and dissenting in part: I agree with my colleagues that the trial court in this instance properly handled the question of the jury deliberation and its resultant verdict. I also agree with the majority’s determination on the questions of discovery, or lack of it, and the trial court’s conclusion that the prosecutor had complied with Supreme Court Rule 412 by using due diligence in attempting to obtain these statements. The actions of the State’s Attorney in attempting to obtain this discovery, in my opinion, were fully in compliance with the letter and the spirit of Rule 412, and are commendable and should be used as an example to other similarly placed State’s Attorneys. I also agree with the majority in its construction of People v. Thompkins (1988), 121 Ill. 2d 401, 521 N.E.2d 48. This leaves us with a problem, however, which is basic to our system of justice. Given the State’s attempt to comply with the applicable discovery rules and the Federal government’s refusal to cooperate with our State’s authorities in discharging their discovery duties, has defendant been deprived of a basic fundamental right, the right to a fair trial? On the basis of the record before us, this court is not able to say. An analogous situation occurred in People v. Sumner (1966), 72 Ill. App. 2d 258, 218 N.E.2d 236. The court in Sumner noted the crucial part in a trial that able cross-examination played, and quoted Mr. Justice Brennan in Jencks v. United States (1957), 353 U.S. 657, 1 L. Ed. 2d 1103, 77 S. Ct. 1007, as follows: “Every experienced trial judge and trial lawyer knows the value for impeaching purposes of statements of the witness recording the events before time dulls treacherous memory. Flat contradiction between the witness’ testimony and the version of the events given in his reports is not the only test of inconsistency. The omission from the reports of facts related at the trial, or a contrast in emphasis upon the same facts, even a different order of treatment, are also relevant to the cross-examining process of testing the credibility of a witness’ trial testimony.” (353 U.S. at 667, 1 L. Ed. 2d at 1111, 77 S. Ct. at 1013.) In Sumner, the cause was remanded to the trial court with directions to conduct an inquiry as noted in the majority opinion, into the “existence, availability, proper producibility, and relevancy of the statements in question.” The attempt by the State’s Attorney to comply with our discovery rules is exemplary. The trial court correctly noted the State’s attempted compliance with discovery and in all other respects handled this case in a commendable manner. We should not stop our inquiry short, however, and must consider the vital question whether a Federal agency’s indifference to a valid request for discoverable materials has resulted in this defendant being denied a basic fundamental right, his right to a fair trial. Such a basic constitutional right should not be held hostage to the indifference of a governmental agency over which this State has no control. Such a cavalier attitude toward fundamental rights is unbecoming to any governmental agency, and we should not compound the effects of such indifference by refusing to deal with its consequences. I would therefore remand this cause to the trial court with specific directions to conduct an inquiry as to the effect, if any, of the refusal of this Federal agency to cooperate in the reasonable requests of the State’s Attorney and forward this discoverable material on defendant’s right to a fair trial.