DocketNumber: P.M. No. 09-6902
Judges: GIBNEY, P.J.
Filed Date: 2/23/2010
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 7/6/2016
Petitioner subsequently filed a complaint against the Town and Officers (collectively "Defendants") in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. The complaint alleges violation of Jackson's civil rights under
A judge's task in determining whether to lift the traditional veil of grand jury secrecy has been examined by the courts on numerous occasions. See e.g., Douglas Oil Co. of Cal.,
Although the veil of grand jury secrecy may be lifted, courts must do so gingerly. Sobotka,
In In re Young, the Superior Court, and then subsequently our Supreme Court, addressed a situation similar to the present one. On January 28, 2000, two Providence police officers responded to a disturbance and fatally shot an off-duty fellow officer, Police Sergeant Cornel Young, Jr. In re Young,
Subsequently, the Estate of Sergeant Young ("Estate") filed a notice of claim with the City of Providence ("City"), seeking monetary damages as well as equitable relief. Further, the Superior Court, upon application by the State pursuant to Rule 6(e)(3)(C)(iv), ordered release of the grand jury tapes to the United States Department of Justice for purposes of a civil rights investigation.1 In response to the Estate's claim, the City petitioned the Superior Court for release of the grand jury minutes. The Estate thereafter moved to intervene and joined the City's request for disclosure. The officers whom the grand jury decided not to indict also supported release of the grand jury minutes, and each, after consultation with his attorney, waived any rights with respect to the secrecy of the grand jury proceedings. The State, however, through the Department of the Attorney General, objected to the disclosure.
The Superior Court began its analysis by highlighting the five factors traditionally looked at in support of grand jury secrecy. These factors include (1) preventing the escape of those whose indictment may be contemplated, (2) ensuring the grand jurors the utmost freedom in their deliberations and preventing a defendant or target of an investigation from importuning them, (3) preventing the subornation of perjury and other witness tampering, (4) encouraging the free and untrammeled disclosure of relevant information, and (5) protecting the innocent defendant or target exonerated by the investigation from public disclosure of the fact that he or she was *Page 5
under investigation. Id. at 846 (citing In re Doe,
Accordingly, having determined that none of the traditional factors weighed against disclosure, the court proceeded to analyze whether the petitioner put forth a particularized need to overcome injustice greater than the concern of protecting the "institutional secrecy" of grand jury proceedings. The City asserted several arguments to support its position that it had demonstrated a "particularized need." Id. at 847. The City argued it had a particularized need for the disclosure because of the public unrest generated from the case, the fact that the materials requested were not otherwise discoverable, the recognition that disclosure could lead to an efficient settlement, and that Rule 16 of the Superior Court Rules of Criminal Procedure contemplates liberal access to evidence for defendants.
Ultimately, the Superior Court allowed for limited disclosure of the grand jury testimony, and gave several reasons to support its conclusion. Preliminarily, the court noted that the burden to demonstrate a particularized need "is not a heavy one." In reYoung,
The Rhode Island Supreme Court, on appeal, denied the Attorney General's motion to stay — affirming and attaching the Superior Court decision to its Order as Exhibit A.2 The first evidence the Supreme Court cited in believing a need for secrecy did not exist was that the targets of the grand jury proceeding had waived any claims to secrecy. Then, the Court noted that every party to the prospective judicial proceeding demonstrated a particularized need to examine the grand jury records and affirmatively requested the material be released. Finally — seemingly addressing the dissent's concern that the majority's decision would be an "open sesame" for access to grand jury records in future similar situations — the majority noted that the Superior Court decision interpreted Rule 6(e) "realistically in light of the circumstances and facts of this case." Id. at 843-44.
Defendants in the pending federal civil suit, the Town and Officers, object to this disclosure. They believe the Petitioner's generalized assertions are conclusory and fail to articulate any particularized need, let alone a particularized need greater than the institutional interest in keeping grand jury matters secret.
This Court agrees with Defendants that the Petitioner has not yet demonstrated a particularized need for disclosure of the grand jury material. As Petitioner correctly states, the need to keep the grand jury affairs secret is relatively low because the grand jury issued a no true bill. See In re Young,
Moreover, although the need for secrecy is low, it has not evaporated. Here, unlike in In re Young, the exonerated targets of the grand jury proceeding have not sanctioned the release of their testimony. Id. at 843 (emphasizing interests of secrecy diminished because officers compliant with release). Further, the minutes of the grand jury testimony have not already been released, and thus witnesses have not already had their expectations of secrecy diminished. Id. at 847. Finally, disclosure of grand jury minutes to a private party — as opposed to the government — may implicate greater *Page 8
concerns of improper use. In re Grand Jury ProceedingsGJ-76-4 GJ-75-3,
Petitioner contends the disclosure is necessary to avoid possible injustice. The injustice cited by Petitioner appears to be easier access to relevant material and the belief that the more evidence it obtains, the more likely a settlement will be reached. While these goals are acceptable, they are not particular to the present set of facts. Indeed, if this Court were to grant the Petition at this time, it would be the "open sesame" that our Supreme Court cautioned against and guarded against by limiting its holding to the particular facts and circumstances of the In re Young decision.
Unlike in In re Young, Petitioner has not yet asserted any need particular to the present situation. In In re Young, all parties to the pending litigation agreed that the disclosure would help quell public unrest. Additionally, the defendant City — which had an obligation to its taxpayers and thus the public to keep costs down — agreed that disclosure would help do so. Finally, the City contended that disclosure of the grand jury minutes would give it access to evidence that was not otherwise obtainable.
In the present situation, Petitioner has not asserted any need particular to this case, nor has it suggested that disclosure would allow it to uncover information otherwise not obtainable through discovery. Rather, the facts are currently almost identical to those in United States v. Proctor Gamble Co.,
The Court noted that while instances exist to allow for access to grand jury testimony, they must be shown with particularity. It explained:
[t]he relevancy and usefulness of the testimony sought were, of course, sufficiently established. If the grand jury transcript were made available, discovery through depositions, which might involve delay and substantial costs, would be avoided. Yet these showings fall short of proof that without the transcript a defense would be greatly prejudiced or that without reference to it an injustice would be done . . . We do not reach in this case problems concerning the use of the grand jury transcript at the trial to impeach a witness, to refresh his recollection, to test his credibility and the like. Those are cases of particularized need where the secrecy of the proceedings is lifted discretely and limitedly. We only hold that no compelling necessity has been shown for the wholesale discovery and production of a grand jury transcript. Id. at 682-83.
For similar reasons, Petitioner here cannot merely ask for the "wholesale testimony" of the Officers and the Medical Examiners without adequately expressing a particular need for the testimony. Costs and relevancy cannot by itself be the basis for a claim of particular need. Sells Engineering, Inc.,
That is not to say, however, that Petitioner is precluded in any circumstance from seeking disclosure of grand jury testimony should a particular need arise. The *Page 10 memoranda submitted to this Court suggest that discovery is progressing. Petitioner has neither asserted any difficulties in this process, nor referred to any potential inconsistencies where testimony would be needed to challenge a witness. Should such a situation arise, this Court will revisit the issue.3
United States v. Jacob S. Sobotka , 623 F.2d 764 ( 1980 )
In Re Grand Jury Proceedings, Gj-76-4 & Gj-75-3 , 800 F.2d 1293 ( 1986 )
In re Young , 755 A.2d 842 ( 2000 )
State v. Carillo , 112 R.I. 6 ( 1973 )
In Re Doe , 717 A.2d 1129 ( 1998 )
United States v. Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. , 60 S. Ct. 811 ( 1940 )
Douglas Oil Co. of Cal. v. Petrol Stops Northwest , 99 S. Ct. 1667 ( 1979 )
United States v. Procter & Gamble Co. , 78 S. Ct. 983 ( 1958 )
United States v. Sells Engineering, Inc. , 103 S. Ct. 3133 ( 1983 )