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Sawyer v. Stovall, 01-1167 (2002)

Court: Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Number: 01-1167 Visitors: 19
Filed: Aug. 09, 2002
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: 5(&200(1'(' )25 )8//7(;7 38%/,&$7,21 3XUVXDQW WR 6L[WK &LUFXLW 5XOH  (/(&7521,& &,7$7,21  )(' $SS 3 WK &LU )LOH 1DPH DS 81,7('67$7(6&28572)$33($/6 )257+(6,;7+&,5&8,7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 1R ; 7+20$6 : 6$: W@KHODFNRIDµIXOODQGIDLUDGMXGLFDWLRQ¶LQUHODWLRQ $SSHDOVQRWHGWKDWWKHVHPHQZDVXQOLNHO\WRKDYHFRPHIURP WRIDFWXDOLVVXHVFRQFHUQLQJWKHVHPHQVWDLQLQWKHVWDWHFRXUW 0LOOHU¶VDWWDFNHUDQGWKDW6DZ\HU¶VQHZO\KDWFKHGWKHRU\WR SUHFOXGHV
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WKDW VKH KDG GLVFRYHUHG WUDFHV RI VHPHQ RQ 0LOOHU¶V However, the state trial court held, both during trial and in XQGHUZHDUEXWWKDW'HWHFWLYH6HUJHDQW&OLIWRQ/(GZDUGV post-conviction proceedings, that any evidence of the semen ³(GZDUGV´ WKHOHDGLQYHVWLJDWRULQWKHFDVHKDGLQVWUXFWHG stain in Miller’s underwear was inadmissible pursuant to KHU WKDW DGGLWLRQDO DQDO\VLV RI WKH VWDLQ ZRXOG QRW EH Michigan’s rape shield law. See Trial Court Tr. at 614-15; QHFHVVDU\$FFRUGLQJWRWKHSURVHFXWRU(GZDUGVLQGLFDWHG J.A. I at 568. If the fact of the stain was inadmissible, then WKDWWKHVHPHQKDGEHHQGHSRVLWHGE\DER\IULHQG7KHIDFW clearly any evidence that would have revolved around the WKDW WKH SROLFH KDG LQ IDFW WHVWHG WKH VHPHQ VWDLQ DJDLQVW stain (including that it did not come from Sawyer) was also 6DZ\HU¶V EORRG W\SH DQG REWDLQHG D QHJDWLYH UHVXOW ZDV inadmissible. The majority discounts this fact by stating that GLVFRYHUHG RQO\ DIWHU GHIHQVH FRXQVHO PDGH D )UHHGRP RI the trial court was not aware, at the time of its holding, that ,QIRUPDWLRQ$FW ³)2,$´ UHTXHVWLQWZR\HDUVDIWHUWKH the stain had been tested and determined not to be from WULDO6DZ\HUWKHQUDLVHGWKH%UDG\FODLPLQKLVGLUHFWDSSHDO Sawyer. See Maj. Op. at 9 n.2. However, this fact is ZKLFKWKHVWDWHFRXUWVUHMHFWHG irrelevant; the trial court refused to permit further testing of (YLGHQWLDU\+HDULQJ the underwear on the basis that, regardless of the results of such a test, any introduction of the fact of the semen stain 6DZ\HUDUJXHVWKDWWKHGLVWULFWFRXUWVKRXOGKDYHKHOGDQ would violate Michigan’s rape shield law. J.A. I at 564-65, HYLGHQWLDU\KHDULQJRQWKHQHJDWLYHUHVXOWRIWKHVHPHQVWDLQ 568. 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