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Garcia (Evaristo) v. Director
80255
| Nev. | Mar 31, 2022
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*1 I N T H E S U P R E M E C OU R T O F T H E S T A TE O F N E VADA N o . 80255

E VA R I S T O J ONA T HAN GA RC I A , A pp e ll a n t , v s . J A M E S D Z U R E NDA , D I R E C T O R ,

F I LE D R e s pond e n t . O R D ER O F AFF I R M A N CE T h i s i s a n a pp ea l fr o m t h e d e n i a l o f a n un ti m e l y po s t - c onv i c ti on p e titi on f o r a w r it o f h a b ea s c o r pu s . E i gh t h J ud i c i a l D i s t r i c t C ou r t , C l a r k C oun t y ; D a v i d M . J on e s , J udg e .

A pp e ll a n t E v a r i s t o G a r c i a w a s c onv i c t e d o f k illi ng a f i f t ee n - y ea r- o l d boy i n fr on t o f a h i gh s c hoo l . F o ll o w i ng t h e d e n i a l o f h i s f i r s t

po s t - c onv i c ti on p e titi on , h e l ea r n e d t h a t t h e S t a t e n e v e r d i s c l o s e d t o h i m po li ce r ec o r d s k e p t by t h e C l a r k C oun t y S c hoo l D i s t r i c t P o li ce D e p a r t m e n t ( CC S D P D ) . T ho s e r ec o r d s i nd i ca t e d t h a t a w it n e ss ' s i n iti a l d e s c r i p ti on o f t h e s hoo t e r w a s i n c on s i s t e n t w it h a ll o f h e r o t h e r d e s c r i p ti on s , a nd t h a t CC S D P D , s ho r tl y a f t e r t h e s hoo ti ng , s t opp e d a s u s p ec t i n t h e v i c i n it y o f w h e r e w it n e ss e s s a i d t h e s h oo t e r r a n , bu t t h e s u s p ec t w a s qu i c k l y r e l ea s e d w h e n a w it n e ss s t a t e d h e w a s no t t h e s hoo t e r . E v a r i s t o f il e d t h e und e r l y i ng h a b ea s p e titi on , w h i c h t h e d i s t r i c t c ou r t d e n i e d a s p r o ce du r a ll y b a rr e d .

A po s t - c onv i c ti on p e titi on f o r a w r it o f h a b ea s c o r pu s m u s t b e f il e d w it h i n on e y ea r a nd s u cce ss i v e p e titi on s a r e no t p e r m itt e d w h e n t h e s ec ond p e tit i on a ll e g e s n e w o r d i ff e r e n t g r ound s a nd t h e j udg e d e t e r m i n e s t h a t t h e f a il u r e t o a ss e r t t ho s e g r ound s p r e v i ou s l y c on s tit u t e s a n a bu s e o f t h e w r it . N R S 34 . 726 ( 1 ) ; N R S 34 . 810 ( 2 ) . G a r c i a ' s p e titi on i s t h u s ti m e

2 2 . _ - t o o L i z . *2 b a rr e d un l e ss h e ca n d e m on s t r a t e good ca u s e . N R S 34 . 726 ( 1 ) . G i v e n h e a ll e g e s a B r ad y v . M a r y l and , 373 U . S . 83 ( 1963 ) , v i o l a ti on , good ca u s e m u s t b e s ho w n by p r ov i ng t h e f o ll o w i ng : " ( 1 ) t h e e v i d e n ce i s f a vo r a b l e t o t h e acc u s e d , e it h e r b eca u s e it i s e x c u l p a t o r y o r i m p eac h i ng ; ( 2 ) t h e S t a t e w it hh e l d t h e e v i d e n ce , e it h e r i n t e n ti on a ll y o r i n a dv e r t e n tl y ; a nd ( 3 ) p r e j ud i ce e n s u e d , i . e ., t h e e v i d e n ce w a s m a t e r i a l . " S t a t e v . H u e b l e r , 128 N e v . 192 , 198 , 275 P . 3d 91 , 95 ( 2012 ) ( i n t e r n a l quo t a ti on m a r k s o m itt e d ) ( e xp l a i n i n g t h a t t h e s ec ond a nd t h i r d p r on g s o f a B r ad y v i o l a ti on m i rr o r t h e t w o r e qu i r e m e n t s f o r d e m on s t r a ti ng good ca u s e f o r t h e d e l a y i n f ili ng t h e h a b ea s p e titi on ) ; N R S 34 . 726 ( 1 ) . T h i s c ou r t r e v i e w s a d i s t r i c t c ou r e s d ec i s i on r e s o l v i ng a B r ad y c l a i m d e novo . H u e b l e r , 128 N e v . a t 198 , 275 P . 3d a t 95 - 96 .

G a r c i a s a ti s f i e d t h e s ec ond p r ong by s ho w i ng t h a t t h e S t a t e w it hh e l d t h e e v i d e n ce . T h e S t a t e h a s a n a ff i r m a ti v e du t y t o d i s c l o s e f a vo r a b l e e v i d e n ce i n it s po ss e ss i on r e g a r d l e ss o f w h e t h e r t h e d e f e n s e h a s m a d e a d i s c ov e r y r e qu e s t . S t a t e v . B e nn e tt , 119 N e v . 589 , 601 , 81 P . 3d 1 , 9 ( 2003 ) . T h e S t a t e i s " c h a r g e d w it h c on s t r u c ti v e kno w l e dg e a nd po ss e ss i on o f e v i d e n ce w it hh e l d by o t h e r s t a t e a g e n t s , s u c h a s l a w e n f o r ce m e n t o ff i ce r s , " i d . a t 603 , 81 P . 3d a t 10 ( i n t e r n a l quo t a ti on m a r k s o m itt e d ) , e v e n i f t h e e v i d e n c e " i s kno w n on l y t o po li c e i nv e s ti g a t o r s a nd no t t o t h e p r o s ec u t o r , " Y oungb l ood v . W e s t V i r g i n i a , 547 U . S . 867 , 869 - 70 ( 2006 ) ( i n t e r n a l quo t a ti on m a r k s o m itt e d ) . T h e S t a t e c on ce d e s t h a t CC S D P D i s a l a w e n f o r ce m e n t a g e n c y . T h e r ec o r d d e m on s t r a t e s t h a t t h e f i r s t o ff i ce r on t h e s ce n e w a s a CC S D P D o ff i ce r , s e v e n CC S D P D o ff i ce r s a ss i s t e d w it h s ec u r i ng t h e s ce n e a nd i nv e s ti g a ti ng t h e c r i m e , a nd CC S D P D o ff i ce r s s t opp e d a po t e n ti a l s u s p ec t . T hu s , t h e S t a t e h a d c on s t r u c ti v e kno w l e dg e t h a t t h e C C S D P D w a s i nvo l v e d i n t h e i nv e s ti g a ti on a nd m a y h a v e d r a f t e d

2 *3 r e po r t s . S ee K y l e s v . W h itl ey , 514 U . S . 419 , 437 ( 1995 ) ( p r ov i d i ng t h a t " t h e i nd i v i du a l p r o s ec u t o r h a s a du t y t o l ea r n o f a ny f a vo r a b l e e v i d e n ce kno w n t o t h e o t h e r s ac ti ng on t h e gov e r n m e n t ' s b e h a l f i n t h e ca s e ) ; B e nn e tt , 119 N e v . a t 603 , 81 P . 3d a t 10 - 11 ( c h a r g i ng t h e S t a t e w it h c on s t r u c ti v e kno w l e dg e o f e v i d e n ce i n a U t a h po li ce o ff i ce r ' s po ss e ss i on b eca u s e t h e S t a t e w a s a w a r e o f t h e U t a h po li ce ' s a ss i s t a n ce i n t h e i nv e s ti g a ti on o f t h e c r i m e ) .

N e v e r t h e l e ss , G a r c i a d i d n o t d e m on s t r a t e t h a t t h e e v i d e n ce w a s m a t e r i a l . E v i d e n ce m u s t b e d i s c l o s e d i f it i s e x c u l p a t o r y a nd " p r ov i d e s g r ound s f o r t h e d e f e n s e t o a tt a c k t h e r e li a b ilit y , t ho r oughn e ss , a nd good f a it h o f t h e po li ce i nv e s ti g a ti on , t o i m p eac h t h e c r e d i b ilit y o f t h e s t a t e ' s w it n e ss e s , o r t o bo l s t e r t h e d e f e n s e ca s e a g a i n s t p r o s ec u t o r i a l a tt ac k s . " M a zz an v . W a r d e n , E l y S t a t e P r i s on , 116 N e v . 48 , 67 , 993 P . 2d 25 , 37 ( 2000 ) . If t h e d e f e n s e on l y m a k e s " a g e n e r a l r e qu e s t f o r i n f o r m a ti on , t h e e v i d e n ce i s m a t e r i a l w h e n a r ea s on a b l e p r ob a b ilit y e x i s t s t h a t t h e r e s u lt w ou l d h a v e b ee n d i ff e r e n t h a d it b ee n d i s c l o s e d , " a nd i f a s p ec i f i c r e qu e s t i s m a d e , " t h e e v i d e n ce i s m a t e r i a l upon t h e l e ss e r s ho w i ng t h a t a r ea s on a b l e po ss i b ilit y e x i s t s o f a d i ff e r e n t r e s u lt h a d t h e r e b ee n d i s c l o s u r e . " B e nn e tt , 119 N e v . a t 600 , 81 P . 3d a t 8 . E v e n und e r t h e l o w e r s t a nd a r d f o r m a t e r i a lit y , G a r c i a w a s un a b l e t o d e m on s t r a t e t h a t t h e e v i d e n ce w a s m a t e r i a l .

G a r c i a m a t c h e d t h e d e s c r i p ti on o f t h e s hoo t e r , h i s f i ng e r p r i n t s w e r e on t h e gun , a w it n e ss t e s ti f i e d t h a t h e r od e i n a ca r w it h G a r c i a t o t h e s ce n e o f t h e c r i m e a nd w a t c h e d t h e gun o w n e r h a nd G a r c i a t h e gun , a nd a no t h e r i nd i v i du a l t e s ti f i e d t h a t G a r c i a t o l d h i m h e h a d s ho t t h e v i c ti m . A dd iti on a ll y , t h e e v i d e n ce t h a t a w it n e ss ' s i n iti a l d e s c r i p ti on o f t h e s hoo t e r w a s d i ff e r e n t w ou l d no t h a v e s uppo r t e d G a r c i a ' s d e f e n s e a t t r i a l t h a t on e o f t w o o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s w a s t h e s ho o t e r b e ca u s e n e it h e r o f t ho s e i n d i v i d u a l ' s f i n g e r p r i n t s w e r e o n t h e gun . F u r t h e r , t h a t w it n e ss i m p e a c h e d h e r o w n

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F N EV A DA 3 i t h [1947] A [41101] . *4 t e s t i m o n y a t t r i a l b ec a u s e s h e i nd i c a t e d t h a t s h e f o r go t t h i n g s du e t o h er ag e . A dd i t i o n a ll y , i n li g h t o f t h e s i g n i f i c a n t e v i d e n ce o f G a rc i a ' s g u il t a t t r i a l , t h e f a c t t h a t a n o t h e r i nd i v i du a l w a s s t o pp e d n e a r t h e s ce n e o f t h e cr i m e w o u l d n o t h av e cre a t e d t h e p o ss i b ili t y o f a d i ff ere n t o u t c o m e b ec a u s e t h ere w a s n o e v i d e n ce t h a t t h e i nd i v i du a l w a s c o nn ec t e d t , o t h e cr i m e o r c o nn ec t e d t o a n y o f t h e o t h er i nd i v i du a l s i n vo l v e d i n t h e cr i m e . T h ere f o re , b ec a u s e G a rc i a c o u l d n o t d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t t h e s upp re ss e d e v i d e n ce w a s m a t er i a l , t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t p r o p er l y d e n i e d G a rc i a ' s p e t i t i o n f o r a w r i t o f h a b e a s c o r pu s a s p r o ce du r a ll y b a rre d . A cc o r d i n g l y , w e

O RD E R t h e j ud g m e n t o f t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t A FF I R M E D . 2 J . H a r d e s t y J . S t i g li c h J . [1] B ec a u s e G a rc i a w a s un a b l e t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e t h i r d B r ad y p r o n g a nd a ll p r o n g s a re n ece ss a r y f o r a B r ad y c l a i m , w e n ee d n o t c o n s i d er w h e t h er h e p r o p er l y d e m o n s t r a t e d t h e f i r s t p r o n g . [2] W e a l s o c o n c l ud e t h a t G a rc i a ' s a r g u m e n t t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ' s a d o p t i o n o f t h e S t a t e s l a n g u ag e i n t o i t s o r d er v i o l a t e d G a rc i a ' s C o n s t i t u t i o n a l r i g h t s a nd t h e s e p a r a t i o n o f p o w er s d o c t r i n e l a c k s m er i t . T h e rec o r d d e m o n s t r a t e s t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t d i d n o t a d o p t t h e S t a t e ' s p r o p o s e d o r d er v er b a t i m , a nd E DCR 7 . 21 re qu i re s t h e p re va ili n g p a r t y t o p r ov i d e t h e c o u r t w i t h a d r a ft o r d e r o r j ud g m e n t .

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F 4 N EV ADA [01] [1947] A a lill t o *5 cc: Hon. David M. Jones, District Judge Federal Public Defender/Las Vegas Attorney General/Carson City Clark County District Attorney Eighth District Court Clerk

SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA 5 ((1) I947A 440.

Case Details

Case Name: Garcia (Evaristo) v. Director
Court Name: Nevada Supreme Court
Date Published: Mar 31, 2022
Docket Number: 80255
Court Abbreviation: Nev.
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