Court Opinion

ID: 9464920
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 23:46:25.652149+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:38:52.960141
License: Public Domain

LOGAN, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I am convinced we should adopt the Lar-rison v. United States, 24 F.2d 82 (7th Cir. 1928) rule where, as here, recantation or perjury is involved. Applying that test I would reverse and remand for a new trial for both defendant-appellants.
While I am influenced to some extent by the undisclosed $300 payment to the recanting witness Venus, United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 110, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976) indicates that normally it is the character of the undisclosed evidence which should determine the case, not the culpability of the prosecutor.
The main basis for my dissent is this: While there was some corroborating evidence, the government’s case depended largely upon the testimony of Venus who was given immunity. Venus identified Weiss, who was convicted as a coconspirator, as the person who flew with him in a small private airplane on at least one round trip to Mexico, where they were together without other companions for many hours. He now recants that testimony and says the Weiss he identified positively at the trial is not the same person who accompanied him on the trip and was his coconspirator. I cannot believe that a person can spend several hours alone with another under these circumstances and then mistakenly identify *561that companion, absent proof the individual has an identical twin. I cannot help but believe that if a jury were told of this misidentification or recantation, it would affect substantially their judgment as to Venus’ credibility in linking Jackson and Allen to the conspiracy. I realize that the other defendants made mighty attacks upon Venus’ credibility at the trial, but that is all the more reason why this recantation as to Weiss’ identification would be more likely to affect the jury’s verdict as to the other defendants.