MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
A
On August 17, 1978, this court, pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 16(a)(1)(C), granted certain discovery requests of defendants Felt and Miller. Two such requests, Miller’s request # 11 and Felt’s request # C-4, were directed at materials reflecting the foreign activity of the Weathermen Organization, including foreign travel and contact or collaboration with foreign powers or agents.
1
This court considered these materials relevant to the defendants’ asserted defense of reasonable reliance on the authority of superiors.
See United States v. Barker,
In particular, part (d) of Miller’s request # 11 asked for “[a]ny and all reports of foreign law enforcement or governmental agencies including but not limited to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;” Felt’s request # C — 4 encompassed all “[documentary materials made and maintained or received by the Justice Department and the FBI in the ordinary course of business.
On December 13, 1978, defendant Miller filed a motion to compel discovery of material relating to the foreign activity of the Weathermen Organization. The motion alleged that the government had failed to produce documents received from foreign intelligence agencies and the NS A falling within the scope of Felt and Miller’s discovery requests # C-4 and # 11. The government failed to respond directly to this motion; it did, however, continue to challenge the applicability of the Barker-Martinez defense underlying the defendants’ discovery claim. During a hearing among the parties, this court ruled that the Barker-Martinez defense was available to defendants Miller and Felt. Transcript of Hearing, 2/22/79, at 57-58.
On March 30, 1979, counsel for the government advised this court that although “[t]he government has completed its discovery,” “some dispute will remain as to the adequacy of the government’s compliance with discovery and that
in camera
resolution of those disputes by the court will be necessary.” Letter from F. J. Martin to Chief Judge William B. Bryant
The government responded by filing a Motion to Modify the August 17, 1978 discovery order. 3 This court was asked to relieve the government from complying with Miller’s discovery request # 11(d) or any portion of his request # 11 or Felt’s request # C-4 requiring the production of documents or information obtained by the FBI from cooperative foreign intelligence agencies. According to the government, such documents and information were submitted to the FBI pursuant to strict understandings that they would not be disclosed to anyone outside the Executive Branch without consent of the foreign source. 4
In support of its motion, the government distinguished two types of documents or information received from foreign sources: material disclosing contact or collaboration between the Weathermen and hostile foreign powers and material resulting from the general surveillance and investigation of Weathermen fugitives and other suspected “hippies” by intelligence agencies of the host foreign country. The government concedes the relevancy of this first category. The Attorney General, however, has submitted in camera affidavits stating that disclosure of such documents (or information contained in the documents) other than in an ex parte, in camera showing to this court, would adversely affect the national interest by severely impairing vital relationships with foreign intelligence agencies. The government has delivered approximately 38 documents falling under this claim of privilege to this court for ex parte, in camera review. 5 Accompanying 25 of the documents are memorandum, reports, and other material from non-privileged domestic sources. The government claims that these discoverable domestic sources provide the defendants with “parallel” or partially “parallel” information, thereby amounting to adequate compliance with the discovery requests. Although no “parallel information” of any type could be found for the remaining 13 documents, the government has submitted admissions conceding relevant facts that also appear in most of the material.
The government has also delivered to this court for ex parte, in camera review approximately 900 documents or information from foreign agencies pertaining to general surveillance and investigation of Weathermen in the host foreign country. These documents are first alleged to be irrelevant and immaterial to the defendants’ case; if the court should find the opposite, the government had indicated its intent to assert a claim of privilege identical to the one described above.
On June 5, 1979, defendant Miller filed a motion to produce the specific understandings with foreign agencies prohibiting disclosure of intelligence information or material forwarded to the FBI. 6
B
The defendants have developed two complementary legal arguments, each in the end resting on the asserted importance of material from foreign agencies for the elab
It appears most logical to address first the validity of the asserted privilege and the ex parte, in camera, procedures adopted to determine its applicability and impact. If the privilege and procedure are legally permissible, this court must then determine whether the nature of the desired material requires a choice between dismissing the indictment or refusing to modify the August 1978 discovery order.
1. The Claim of Privilege
The affidavits submitted by the Attorney General comply with the procedural requirements set forth in
United States
v.
Reynolds,
The defendants’ suggestion that the claim of privilege somehow lacks potency because the Attorney General failed to recite the words “state secrets” is unconvincing. His affidavit states that disclosure of the material would adversely affect relationships with foreign intelligence agencies that are essential to our national security interest. This type of determination, by a key figure in the Executive Branch, falls well within those “areas of Art. II duties [to which] the courts have traditionally shown the utmost deference.”
United States v. Nixon,
Defendants’ claim that Miller or Felt might have viewed the material in the past does nothing to vitiate the asserted privilege. Protection of sources, not information, lies at the heart of the claim by the Attorney General. 7
The government has indicated that the agreements with foreign agencies permit disclosure only to present members of the intelligence community, on a “need to know” basis. The respective foreign agencies whose information is at issue in this case have not consented to disclosure. In short, neither the manner in which the privilege is asserted nor the prior exposure of the material to the defendants renders the claim of privilege invalid.
2. In Camera, Ex Parte, Review of the Material
a. Documents Claimed to be Immaterial
As discussed earlier,
supra
at 182, the government has designated a number of documents containing information from foreign intelligence agencies as immaterial or irrelevant to the defendants’ case. The government contends that these documents merely disclose efforts by foreign intelligence agencies to record the activities of Weathermen and other suspected radicals,
Although the original discovery order in this case encompassed all aspects of the foreign conduct of the Weathermen Organization, e.
g.
foreign travel and correspondence, Fed.R.Crim.P. 16(d)(1) allows for modification upon a sufficient showing.
In camera ex parte
presentation of disputed material is recognized as an appropriate means of establishing such a showing.
United States v. Pelton,
The adoption of
in camera, ex parte
procedures does not threaten the defendants’ constitutional right to exculpatory material,
Brady v. Maryland,
The present case, however, requires determinations of exculpation and materiality. In
United States v. Agurs,
This court has been apprised of the essential elements of defendants’ Barker-Martinez defense in a number of pleadings submitted in the case, as well as from long in camera hearings. In light of this background, and the experience of this court in disposing of discovery requests, it is doubtful that ex parte, in camera review will in any way prejudice the defendant.
b. Material Falling Under the Asserted Privilege
The government has voluntarily submitted this material to this court for
in camera, ex parte
review. In the present case, this procedure is necessary to determine whether invocation of the privilege is proper.
United States v. Reynolds,
In camera, ex parte
review is not just necessary to insure that the material properly falls within the asserted privilege. The defendants have moved to dismiss the indictment for failure to comply with discovery. Thus, the court must evaluate now the importance of the disputed material
It is obvious that “the security which the privilege is meant to protect,”
United States v. Reynolds,
The fundamental difference between the type of review at issue in
Alderman
and the present case has already been discussed,
supra
at 184. The national security considerations at issue here also counsel against two much reliance on
Alderman,
for when discovery requests touch upon “a field as delicate and sensitive as foreign intelligence gathering,”
in camera
procedures may be necessary to determine that the defendants suffer no injustice.
United States v. Lemonakis,
It is important to note that the
Alderman
Court was not confronted with any claim of privilege,
i. e.,
national security, state secrets, or otherwise. Although the two companion cases involved espionage convictions, the effect on national security of permitting the defendants to examine transcripts of illegally heard conversations was not as clearly delineated as it is in the present case.
8
The existence of a former claim of privilege, raises considerations similar to those presented by Justices Harlan and Fortas in their opinions in
Alderman,
This is not to suggest that the interests of the defendants must be sacrificed in the name of national security. In the present case, the government has provided this court with “parallel” and “partially” parallel information, as well as admissions; it is possible to place the information from the
This manner of presentation leads this court to believe that
ex parte, in camera
review will not prejudice the defendant.
Taglianetti v. United States,
3. Assessing the Defendants’ Need for Discovery
Defendants’ right to discover documentary material controlled by the government rests on two grounds: the constitutional right to discover exculpatory evidence, as developed in
Brady v. Maryland,
The Court has recently indicated that the constitutional right is rather narrow, applying only to material that “creates a reasonable doubt” about the defendant’s guilt.
United States v. Agurs,
In the present case, the government has asserted that some documents are irrelevant and immaterial to the defendants’ case. This court has examined a representative sample of such documents, with the constitutional and statutory standards discussed above in mind. This court believes that this material is not material to the defendants’ case, in particular their
Barker-Martinez
defense. Such a defense does not require a general investigation of how friendly governments monitored Weathermen activities.
Cf. Clay v. United States,
The government has conceded the relevancy of those 38 documents falling under its claim of privilege; it has also attempted to minimize the effect of non-disclosure by claiming that information revealing contacts between the Weathermen and hostile foreign powers is not a “core” issue in the defendants’ ease. Defendants follow the lead of the government, simultaneously dancing in two different directions. They attack the privilege, and argue that the documents falling under such a claim relate to “core issues” and must be discovered, well aware that prosecutions involving sensitive intelligence information are often dropped by the government because of discovery and trial demands.
E. g., DeChamplain v. McLucas,
A satisfactory solution of the problem requires that the “core/non-core, comply or dismiss” approach urged by the parties be jettisoned. Contacts between the Weathermen and hostile foreign powers are clearly important to defendants’
Barker-Martinez
defense, and that defense is as close to the “core” as any other issue in this case. Defendants’ right to the material covered by the privilege must be judged in reference to the constitutional standard set forth in
Agurs,
and the statutory standard incorporated in Rule 16. The latter, however, becomes more demanding in the context of a formal assertion of privilege.
United States v. Nixon,
This court has examined the 38 documents. Special attention has been given to the demands of the
Barker-Martinez
defense, and information already available to the defendants, e.
g.
“parallel” information, “partially” parallel information, admissions, and documents released earlier in the case.
See United States v. Lee,
This determination does not require the dismissal of the indictment, as the defendants suggest. Such a result would be warranted only if the court recognizes the government’s claim of privilege as absolute, prevailing over the type of showing associated with
Agurs
and a more demanding version of Rule 16. Other claims of privilege have not been afforded absolute status.
United States v. Nixon,
Defendants’ interest in the two documents referred to eariler,
supra
at 186, is of “constitutional dimensions,”
United States v. Nixon,
In addition to determining “the inroads of [the] privilege on the fair administration of criminal justice,”
id.
at 711-712,
For the reasons set forth in this memorandum, it is hereby ORDERED that:
(a) The government’s Motion to Modify the August 1978 Discovery Order is granted, except for documents identified as 11(A)(1)(a) and 111(F)(1)(a) (without the Appendix) which were submitted to this court for ex parte, in camera review in April 1979. These two documents may be redacted to prevent disclosure of intelligence sources, pursuant to ¶ (8) of the December 1978 Protective Order, and stored in accordance with the Supplementary Protective Order.
(b) Defendant Miller’s Motion to Compel Discovery of Foreign Connections of Weathermen is denied, except for the two documents referred to above in ¶ (a).
(c) The motions of defendants Miller and Felt to dismiss the indictment are denied.
(d) Defendant Miller’s motion to produce specific understandings with foreign governments is denied.
Notes
. Miller’s request #11, as limited by this court, is directed at FBI and Justice Department documents Miller might have come in contact with while serving with the agency. Felt’s request was directed only at FBI and Justice Department material.
. Defendants’ discovery requests directed at material sent by NSA to the FBI were resolved during an in camera hearing among the parties. Transcript of Hearing 3/16/79, at 18, 37.
. The motion was filed under seal.
. During an in camera session, counsel for the government stated that the agreements permit disclosure only to current members of the intelligence community. Transcript of Hearing, 8/30/79, at 32. The government has asked the respective foreign intelligence agencies to disclose the disputed material. The agencies have refused.
. Twenty documents were submitted to this court in April 1979. Subsequent submissions have raised the total to 38.
. The government has since indicated that these understandings are not in writing. Government’s Response to Miller’s Motion to Produce “Specific Understandings With Foreign Government Agencies” at 1 (under seal).
. The importance of this objective has been stressed recently by intelligence agencies in other contexts, and has met with court approval.
See Hayden v. NSA,
. Thus the Court’s general pronouncements favoring disclosure in all instances,
. These redactions should resemble those used to protect foreign sources in material already turned over to the defendants.
