Robert Taliento Case Study

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Nature of the Case The Petitioner filed a motion for a new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence disputing that the Government was negligent in disclosing a purported promise of leniency made to Robert Taliento, their key witness in exchange for his testimony. At a hearing on this motion, the Assistant United States Attorney, DiPaola, who presented the case to the grand jury admitted that he promised the witness that he would not be prosecuted if he testified before the grand jury and at trial. The Assistant (Golden) who tried the case was unaware of the promise. The defendant seeks to overturn his conviction on the grounds that this non-disclosure was a violation of his Due Process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Facts …show more content…

The Government 's evidence at trial showed that in June 1966 officials at the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co. discovered that Taliento, a teller at the bank, had cashed several forged money orders. When interviewed by FBI agents, he admitted furnished the petitioner with one of the bank 's customer signature cards which was used by Giglio to forge $2,300 in money orders; Taliento then processed these money orders through the regular channels of the bank. When Taliento related this information to the grand jury, the petitioner was indicted; thenceforth, he was named as a co-conspirator with the petitioner; however, he was not …show more content…

Holhan, 294 U.S. 103 (1935). In Napue, the court had held that the same result occurs when the State although not soliciting false evidence allows it to go uncorrected when it appears. In Brady, the Supreme Court had held that irrespective of the good faith or bad faith of the prosecution, suppression of material exculpatory evidence required a new trial. In Giglio 's case, the Court found that neither DiPaola 's authority nor his failure to inform his superior Hoey or his associate Golden was controlling. The Court held that, regardless of whether the failure to disclose was intentional or negligent, disclosing the information remained the obligation of the prosecutor in its position as spokesman for the government; ergo, a pledge made by one attorney on the case must be attributed to the

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