Court Opinion

ID: 9456672
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 19:59:51.591911+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:04.210278
License: Public Domain

ROBB, Circuit Judge
(concurring):
I concur in the affirmance of the judgment and in Parts I, II, and III of Judge FAHY’S opinion. I also agree that the district court was correct in refusing to give a missing witness instruction; but my reasons for reaching this conclusion are different from those of my col-, leagues.
The record discloses that on the second day of the trial, a Thursday, counsel for the defendant developed on cross examination of a narcotics agent that the name of the informer was Daniel Cole, that he lived in the 700 block of Morton Avenue, the address being 710, 712 or 714 Morton Avenue. The agent testified that he had not seen the informer for about a month and a half and therefore could not say where he lived at the time of trial; however, the testimony certainly gave the defendant information that would have led him to the witness if it had been followed up. Although the trial continued until the following Monday, counsel for the defendant made no attempt to locate the witness either by further inquiry, or by asking the government to produce him, or by asking the court for a subpoena. On Monday, after both sides had rested, counsel stated to the court:
“If there is such a witness, I wouldn’t doubt for a moment he could have been found within an hour. Morover, if Your Honor please, if we were to ask for the witness, this was entirely in violation of our own defense.”
Counsel requested “an instruction on the missing witness” and declined the court’s offer to reopen the case so that counsel might locate the witness.
My interpretation of the record is that the witness was available to the defendant but that the defendant’s counsel deliberately chose not to seek him out. Counsel carefully refrained from urging strenuously that the witness be produced ; his cry for help was so muted as to be almost inaudible. I think it is a fair inference that counsel did not want the witness but hoped to take advantage of a missing witness instruction, or a claim of error if the instruction was refused. Under the circumstances I do not think the defendant is in a position to complain because the instruction was not given. Having deliberately rejected an opportunity to produce a witness a defendant should not be permitted to complain that the witness is missing.