U.S. v. Brown

• Decision Date: 20 October 1980
• Docket Number: No. 80-3087,80-3087
• Citation: 628 F.2d 471
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. George F. BROWN, Defendant-Appellant. Summary Calendar. . Unit A
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit

Page 471

628 F.2d 471

UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. George F. BROWN, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 80-3087

Summary Calendar.

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

Unit A

Oct. 20, 1980.

E. Drew McKinnis, Baton Rouge, La., for defendant-appellant.

Donald L. Beckner, U. S. Atty., Baton Rouge, La., Carolyn L. Gaines, App. Sec., Crim. Div., U. S. Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., for plaintiff-appellee.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Before AINSWORTH, GARZA and SAM D. JOHNSON, Circuit Judges.

SAM D. JOHNSON, Circuit Judge:

Appellant Brown was convicted of filing fraudulent income tax returns. This Court affirmed his conviction in all respects but one: the district court was directed on remand to determine in camera whether the IRS investigative file on Brown contained exculpatory evidence on Brown's guilt or punishment that might have affected the outcome of the trial. The sole issue on the present appeal is whether the district court's finding on remand that the Government withheld no material exculpatory information is clearly erroneous. This Court affirms the district court. ¹

Brown's pre-trial discovery motion for materials in the IRS investigative file on him included requests for

3. The materials contained in the files of the Internal Revenue Service relative to its investigation of defendant for the calendar years 1974 and 1975 which negate or which may tend to negate the receipt of unreported income by the defendant in the amounts alleged in the indictment. Included in this request are materials relative to any net worth analysis by Internal Revenue Service and the reports of its agents as to defendant's spending habits.

4. Any materials reflecting the name and current address of, and/or any statements of the Internal Revenue Service in connection with its investigation of defendant's 1974-1975 income tax returns, who either (1) was not called or put before the Grand Jury or (2) was called before the Grand Jury but will not be called as a witness at the trial.

On appeal from the conviction, this Court narrowly remanded to the district court an in camera determination of whether the IRS file contained exculpatory evidence material to Brown's guilt or punishment. United States v. Brown, 574 F.2d 1274, 1279 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1046, 99 S.Ct. 720, 58 L.Ed.2d 704 (1978).

The district court reviewed the file and concluded that there was no exculpatory evidence or evidence material to Brown's guilt or punishment. The district court acknowledged that the IRS audit indicated that the alleged income did not appear in Brown's checking or savings accounts and that Brown had not entered safe deposit boxes to which he had access. The district court held that this evidence was not material to a charge of receiving and failing to report money, and held that there were no statements in the file that in any way indicated that Brown did not receive the money or that he had paid the tax on it. Thus, the court held that there was no evidence in the file that might have affected the outcome of the trial, and additionally concluded that everything in the file that was in any way relevant to the trial was in fact made a part of the testimony adduced in court.

Due process requires that the Government disclose material evidence favorable to the defendant, and suppression of that evidence by the prosecution will result in a reversal of the conviction. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). In United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976), the Supreme Court defined materiality in the Brady context. When the defendant requests specific items, due process is violated if the undisclosed evidence might have affected the outcome of the trial. United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. at 104, 96 S.Ct. at 2397. If the request is general, due process is violated if the omitted evidence creates a reasonable doubt about guilt that did not otherwise exist. Id. at 112, 96 S.Ct. at 2401.

Brown claims that his request was for specific materials, and therefore is entitled to the lower standard of materiality. Brown also disputes the trial court conclusion that the requested information was in evidence and therefore before the jury. It is unnecessary, however, for this Court to reach these contentions. Regardless of whether the request was specific or general, ² and regardless of whether the evidence was material or even exculpatory, when information is fully available to a defendant at the time of trial and his only reason for not obtaining and presenting the evidence to the Court is his lack of reasonable diligence, the...