Discovery

• Pages: 403-442
• Author: Thomas J. Farrell,Brandon D. Minde

DISCOVERY

14-1

CHAPTER 14

DISCOVERY

I. GENERAL POINTS

§14:01 Discovery Procedure

§14:02 Pre-indictment Discovery versus Pre-trial Discovery

§14:03 Scope of Discovery Rules

II. DISCOVERY ITEMS

A. The Defendant’s Statements

§14:10 Your Client’s Statements

§14:11 Co-Defendant’s Statements

B. Documents

§14:20 The Defense Is Entitled to Certain Documents

§14:21 Dealing With Voluminous Documents

§14:22 Remedies

§14:23 Electronic Discovery

§14:24 Criminal Records

C. Expert Repor ts

§14:30 The Defense Is Entitled to Certain Expert Reports

§14:31 Summaries of Qualifications and Opinion

§14:32 Underlying Data for Expert’s Opinion

D. Witness Identities and Statements

§14:40 Disclosure Is Within the Trial Court’s Discretion

§14:41 Informal Discovery

§14:42 Brady Motion

§14:43 Witness Statements

§14:44 Early Production of Witness Statements

§14:45 Sharing Discovery With Your Client

III. DISCOVERY TOOLS

§14:50 Omnibus Motion

§14:51 Notice of Prior Bad Acts

§14:52 Subpoenas

§14:53 Bill of Particulars

IV. DEFENSE DISCOVERY OBLIGATIONS

§14:60 Reciprocal Discovery and Notice of Defenses

§14:61 No Requirement to Disclose Harmful Evidence

DISCOVERY

Criminal Defense Tools and Techniques 14-2

V. BRADY DISCLOSURES

§14:70 The Prosecutor’s Obligation to Disclose Exculpatory Evidence

§14:71 Materiality

§14:72 Demanding Brady Material

§14:73 Timing of Brady Disclosures

§14:74 Look to Local Rules and Rules of Professional Conduct

§14:75 A Production Order Allows Sanctions

VI. DAUBERT DISCOVERY

§14:80 General Points

§14:81 The Daubert Hearing

VII. FORMS

Form 14-1 Informal Discovery Request

Form 14-2 Discovery Letter

Form 14-3 Specific Brady Motion

Form 14-4 Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion

Form 14-5 Federal Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion

Form 14-6 Ex Parte Motion for Subpoena Duces Tecum

Form 14-7 Request for Bill of Particulars

DISCOVERY

14-3 Discovery §14:02

I. GENERAL POINTS

§14:01 Discovery Procedure

Discovery usually is a three-step process.

Step one

The prosecution may make an initial, voluntary disclosure, perhaps at the time of arraignment. This will include:

• Copiesofthedefendant’sstatementstolawenforcementocials,asmemorializedintheocials’reports.

• The defendant’s criminal history.

• Anoertomakedocumentaryevidenceavailable.

The scope of the disclosure, and whether it is mandatory or permissive, will depend on several factors, including

which jurisdiction you are in; the timeline of the case and what actions the prosecution is taking at that point; and

whatthespecicrulesforthatcourtrequire.

Step two

Mostcourtsrequirethedefensetomakeaninformalrequestordemandfordiscoverybeforelingamotion

with the court to seek discovery. [See Local Rule 16.1.D, W.D.Pa; NY CPL 240.40.]

Somecourtsandprosecutors’ocesprovide astandardformfor thedefensetocheck whatitwantsand to

serve upon the prosecutor.

Unlessthestandardformisunusuallydetailed,orprovidesasectionforyoutomakeadditionalrequests,you

should supplement the form with your own discovery letter. And in many cases you may want to supplement your

discovery letter with Bradyrequeststailoredto thefactsof yourcaseandwhat youanticipateas defenses.[For

more on Bradyrequests,see§§14:70etseq.]

Step three

Ifyoudonotobtainwhatyouwant,youmayleamotionfordiscoverywiththecourt.

Thelawondiscoveryisnotfavorable.However,manycourtswillexercisetheirdiscretiontoorderorencour-

age the prosecution to provide additional discovery or to provide discovery of some things (i.e., witness identities

andstatements)soonerthanotherwiseobligatedtodoso.

Among the arguments that appeal to some courts’ discretion:

• You cannot competently advise your client on whether to plead guilty without having additional discovery,

suchasthewitnesses’orcoconspirators’statements. Havingthatmaterialsooner ratherthanlater may

result in an earlier disposition of the case and conservation of the court’s resources.

• This is not the kind of case in which your client poses any danger to the witnesses.

• Youneedthediscoverysoonerratherthan laterbecauseyouneed toconductfactualinvestigation and

lemotionsinlimineregardingtheevidence’sadmissibility.Ifyoudonotreceivethematerialuntiltrial

starts, you may need a continuance to investigate.

• Obtainingthematerialswellinadvanceoftrialwillenablethepartiestofocustheissues,reachstipulations

andotherwiseexpeditethetrial.Thisargumentisparticularlyappropriateifthematerialsarevoluminous.

FORMS:

• Form 14-1SampleInformalDiscoveryRequest

• Form 14-2 Discovery Letter

• Form 14-3SpecicBrady Motion

§14:02 Pre-indictment Discovery versus Pre-trial Discovery

Insomecourts,theprosecutorsmustprovidepre-indictmentdiscoverywhenapleaoerismade,unlessthe

defendant agrees to more limited discovery. [See State v. Polito, 146 N.J. Super. 552 (App. Div. 1977) and N.J.

CourtRule3:13(a)(ingeneral,thedefendantisnotentitledtopretrialdiscoveryuntilindictment,unlesspleaoer

tendered); United States v. Zubiate, 2022 U.S. Dist LEXIS 78322 (2022).]