Gibson v. State

514 N.E.2d 318, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 3146
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided October 22, 1987·No. 27A02-8611-CR-405·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

SHIELDS, Presiding Judge.

Evelyn Gibson (Gibson) appeals her convictions upon three counts of promoting prostitution under Ind.Code Ann. § 85-45 4-4 (Burns 1985). Gibson was convicted on Count I for knowingly or intentionally enticing or compelling another person, under eighteen years of age, to become a prostitute; on Count III for knowingly or intentionally permitting another person to use a residence, over which Gibson had control, for prostitution; and on Count IV for receiving money from a prostitute, without lawful consideration, knowing it was earned in whole or in part from prostitution.

ISSUES

The issues on appeal are 1) whether Gibson was denied a fair trial when the State violated discovery orders, and 2) whether the evidence is sufficient to support her convictions on Count I and Count IV.

We affirm.

FACTS

Evelyn Gibson ran a house of prostitution in her home in Muncie, Indiana, in 1984. Gibson employed Tiki Jo Everrett, JoAnn Beaty and Diane Miller as prosti tutes, collecting a percentage of their earnings. JoAnn Beaty was sixteen years old at the time she worked for Gibson.

Police officer Steven Stanley visited Gibson's house posing as a customer and ob-stensibly employed the services of prostitute Tiki Jo Everrett. Stanley paid Ever-rett, who was at the time assisting police, fifty dollars in marked bills. Everrett gave the marked bills to Gibson, which resulted in Gibson's arrest on October 25, 1984. Trial by jury ensued on June 10, 1985.

Prior to trial, Gibson filed three motions to produce, all of which were granted. All three motions were identical and ordered the State to produce, among other things:

"1. The names and addresses of persons whom the Prosecuting Attorney intends to call as witnesses at the trial, together with their rele *320 vant written or recorded statements;
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9. Any evidence the Prosecution might have, favorable to this defendant;
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16. Any victim's statements...."

Record at 45-46, 49-50, 116-117. Gibson proceeded to trial, believing the State had provided all ordered discovery materials.

At trial the jury returned guilty verdicts on Counts I, III and IV. Gibson's motion to correct errors was denied. After filing her record of proceedings with the Clerk of this court, Gibson learned of the existence of three audio-recorded statements of State's witnesses the prosecution had failed to provide pursuant to the discovery orders. All were interviews conducted prior to trial at the prosecutor's office by the prosecutor and his chief investigating officer. Two were with State's witness JoAnn Beaty, and one with State's witness Diane Miller.

The existence of these statements was revealed during the trial of Howard Burns, which took place after Gibson's trial, and at which both JoAnn Beaty and Diane Miller testified as State's witnesses. 1

When Gibson learned of the tapes, she was granted permission to file a belated motion to correct errors and allowed to inspect and copy the tapes. At a hearing on her belated motion to correct errors, Gibson introduced transcripts of the tapes and claimed that she had been denied a fair trial because statements on the tapes "differed from trial testimony in many material aspects." Appellant's Brief at 7. The trial court denied Gibson's belated motion to correct errors.

DISCUSSION

Discovery Violation

Gibson argues that she was denied a fair trial when the State wrongfully, through either prosecutorial misconduct or gross negligence, failed to provide the tape recorded statements of State's witnesses despite three specific requests and three court orders. She argues that the prosecution's obligation to disclose was not discretionary but mandated by the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution. She points out that even if the withholding of evidence was merely negligent, rather than deliberate, there are still sufficient grounds for a new trial.

There is little doubt the prosecutor's office deliberately violated the discovery orders. Nevertheless, while such violations are inexcusable and totally reprehensible, a constitutional violation occurs only if the nondisclosure deprives a defendant of a fair trial, United States v. Bagley (1985), 473 U.S. 667, 105 S.Ct. 3375, 87 LEd.2d 481. The constitutional obligation to provide an accused a fair trial is not measured by the "moral culpability or willfulness of the prosecutor." United States v. Agurs (1976), 427 U.S. 97, 110, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 2400, 49 LEd.2d 342; Brady v. Maryland (1963), 373 U.S. 83, 87; Mooney v. Holohan (1935), 294 U.S. 103, 106-107, 55 S.Ct. 340, 79 L.Ed. 791.

The issue is whether the prosecutor's withholding of the taped statements in violation of discovery orders deprived Gibson of a fair trial. Resolution of this issue depends upon the evidential relationship that exists between the suppressed tapes and Gibson's conviction. "[A] constitutional error occurs, and a conviction must be reversed, only if the evidence is material in the sense that its suppression undermines *321 confidence in the outcome of the trial." Bagley, 478 U.S. at 673, 105 S.Ct. at 3381.

Materiality

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Gibson v. State, 514 N.E.2d 318, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 3146 (Ind. Ct. App. 1987).

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