United States v. Watson

787 F. Supp. 2d 667, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42295, 2011 WL 1480403
District Court, E.D. Michigan·Decided April 19, 2011·No. Case 10-20388·Published

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER (1) DENYING DEFENDANT TERRANCE ALEXANDER’S “MOTION FOR NOTICE UNDER RULES 404(B) AND 609 OF THE FEDERAL RULES OF EVIDENCE” (D.E. 140), DEFENDANT TERRANCE ALEXANDER’S “MOTION AND DEMAND FOR DISCLOSURE OF EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE AND RULE 16 DISCOVERY MATERIALS” (D.E. 141), AND DEFENDANT LAMONTE WATSON, JR.’S “MOTION TO REQUIRE GOVERNMENT TO PRODUCE NAMES OF CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES” (D.E. 236); (2) DENYING DEFENDANT DAMI-CHAEL WASHINGTON’S “MOTION FOR BILL OF PARTICULARS” (D.E. 189); (3) DENYING DEFENDANT LAMONTE WATSON, JR.’S “MOTION TO MERGE COUNTS III AND IV OF THE INDICTMENT BASED ON MULTIPLICITY OF COUNTS” (D.E. 237); AND (4) GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT LA-MONTE WATSON, JR.’S REQUEST FOR AN “ORDER REQUIRING GOVERNMENT’S STIPULATION REGARDING COUNT VI PURSUANT TO OLD CHIEF [v.] UNITED STATES[, 519 US. 172 (1997)]” (D.E. 264)

MARK A. GOLDSMITH, District Judge.

Before the Court are the following motions:

*670 1) Defendant Terrance Alexander’s “Motion for Notice Under Rules 404(b) and 609 of the Federal Rules of Evidence” (D.E. 140).
2) Defendant Terrance Alexander’s “Motion and Demand for Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence and Rule 16 Discovery Materials” (D.E. 141).
3) Defendant Damichael Washington’s “Motion for Bill of Particulars” (D.E. 189).
4) Defendant Lamonte Watson, Jr.’s “Motion to Require Government to Produce Names of Confidential Sources” (D.E. 236).
5) Defendant Lamonte Watson, Jr.’s “Motion to Merge Counts III and IV of the Indictment Based on Multiplicity of Counts” (D.E. 237).
6) Defendant Lamonte Watson, Jr.’s request for an “Order Requiring Government’s Stipulation Regarding Count VI Pursuant to Old Chief [v.] United States [, 519 U.S. 172, 117 S.Ct. 644, 136 L.Ed.2d 574 (1997) ]” (D.E. 264).

The Court has received briefing and heard oral argument on all of the motions.

I. Docket entries 140,141, 236

A. Background

On January 25, 2011, the government and several Defendants submitted a stipulation to this Court. See D.E. 240. The stipulation provides that the government (i) understands its production requirements under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150, 92 S.Ct. 763, 31 L.Ed.2d 104 (1972), and Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16, and will comply with those requirements, (ii) acknowledges its obligation to provide notice of intent to offer any evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 404, and (iii) agrees to produce all material it possesses governed by the Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. 3500(b), along with impeachment material, plea agreements, and any other consideration given, not later than ten days prior to trial. D.E. 240. Four Defendants— Terrance Alexander, Timothy Grayson, and Lamonte Watson, Jr., and Roquan Wesley — did not agree to the stipulation.

Defendant Alexander had previously filed a “Motion for Notice Under Rules 404(b) and 609 of the Federal Rules of Evidence” (D.E. 140) and a “Motion and Demand for Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence and Rule 16 Discovery Materials” (D.E. 141). Defendants Grayson, Wesley, and Lamonte Watson, Jr. joined in those motions. In light of these Defendants’ continuing opposition to the stipulation and pending requests for disclosure from the government, the Court directed them to address whether they sought disclosures additional to those addressed in the stipulation and/or more prompt disclosure than that outlined in the stipulation, along with the legal basis for their positions. D.E. 269 at 5. In response, Defendant Terrance Alexander submitted a supplemental brief (D.E. 270), and Defendant Timothy Gray-son submitted a supplemental brief (D.E. 272). Although Defendant Lamonte Watson did not file a supplemental brief, he did file a motion to require the government to produce the names of confidential sources (D.E. 236), 1 which Defendant Roquan Wesley joined.

In his supplemental filing, Defendant Alexander requests Jencks materials at least a few days prior to the plea bargain dead *671 line (now April 27, 2011). 2 D.E. 270 at 1-2. Alexander argues that disclosure before plea cutoff is necessary because a defendant is often reluctant to plead to an offer until he has seen what co-conspirators or co-defendants are planning to say about him at trial. Alexander also requests “other material” that he requested in his previous motion for “Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence and Rule 16 Discovery Materials” (D.E. 141), and asks that that information be provided within the time period provided by the government’s stipulation. D.E. 270 at 2-3. 3

In his supplemental filing, Defendant Grayson requests that the government be required to provide “Jencks, Brady, and GigPio] material,” along with all “exculpatory material” before the plea cutoff. D.E. 272 at 1-2. 4 Grayson argues that disclo *672 sure sooner than ten days before trial is necessary to allow adequate time for preparation and plea negotiation. D.E. 272 at 5.

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United States v. Watson, 787 F. Supp. 2d 667, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42295, 2011 WL 1480403 (E.D. Mich. 2011).

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