Court Opinion

ID: 9741163
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:50:30.014542+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:22.635123
License: Public Domain

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE GEORGE J. MORAN dissenting: The State had obtained a statement from Mary Burries who claimed to have been a girl friend of the deceased during the presentation of evidence for the defense. She testified that the defendant had been at her home located at 1414 South 19th Street sometime after noon of March 8, that he left with the intention of going to Patricia’s house, that she saw him leave and proceed down 19th Street toward Central, and that he was alone when she lost sight of him near 19th and Lawrence. Sometime thereafter, she testified, the defendant returned to her home and said he was in trouble. He said that he had shot a man and something about “Ninety-nine” (Julius). Betty Burries, the mother of Mary, gave the State’s Attorney’s office a statement which contradicted that of her daughter. She stated that after the defendant left her house she went out to get a beer and returned shortly thereafter. She stated further that she remained at home the rest of the afternoon and that to her knowledge, defendant did not return to her house during that time. The State’s Attorney’s office informed the elder Burries that her testimony would not be needed. However, they did not disclose her existence, or the nature of her statement to counsel for the defense. Defendant contends that the State denied defendant due process of law in withholding information from the defense regarding the existence of Betty Burries and the nature of her statements. A review of this contention must begin with Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215. That case held: “The suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment, irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution.” This rule, which has been followed in Illinois, is generally applied where defense counsel requests the production of, but is denied access to, certain favorable evidence in the possession or control of the prosecuting attorney. People v. Sumner, 43 Ill.2d 228, 252 N.E.2d 534; People v. Cagle, 41 Ill.2d 528, 244 N.E.2d 200; People v. Moses 11, Ill.2d 84, 142 N.E.2d 1; People v. Cole, 30 Ill.2d 375, 196 N.E.2d 691. The general rule set forth by the preceding cases applies to situations where the defense counsel did not learn of the favorable evidence of which the prosecutor had knowledge until the end of the trial. (People v. Murdock, 39 Ill.2d 553, 236 N.E.2d 442.) In Murdock the prosecution failed to disclose the police officers had interviewed a witness whose statement would have cast doubt on the prosecutions theory of the facts. This interview was reduced to a sworn statement, the existence of which was intentionally not revealed to defense counsel. Finding the statement to have been material to the defense, the court reversed the defendant’s conviction on the grounds that its suppression was a denial of due process. In the instant case, the State does not deny that an investigator in its office in fact took a statement of Betty Burries at the time in question, or that such statement was not at least partially a variance with that taken from Mary Burries. Nor does it deny withholding the statement from defense counsel. Rather, it denies that “the evidence of Betty Burries was material to the defense.” I cannot agree. Evidence which challenges the credibility of what undoubtedly was the most damaging of all testimony offered against the defendant must be viewed as material. The State’s Attorney’s belief to the contrary should not determine whether defendant is given the opportunity to present such evidence to the jury. (Brady v. Maryland, supra; People v. Sumner, supra.) Defendant should have been allowed a new trial by the trial court when it became evident to it that material evidence favorable to defendant’s case was withheld by the prosecutor. People v. Murdock, supra. The majority opinion states: “Even if the information should be considered favorable, no request for its production was made.” I am somewhat puzzled as to how the defendant is supposed to request a copy of a statement he knows nothing about. Here the State deliberately failed to disclose evidence in its possession favorable to the defense obtained during the trial. I believe it is unfortunate that this court now places its stamp of approval on such conduct.