Civil Rights – Brady violations

U.S. Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit Civil

Civil

Civil Rights – Brady violations

Police officers are not liable for a prosecutor’s failure to disclose exculpatory evidence.

“The defendants did not falsify any physical evidence or use any knowingly false testimony at trial. Cf. id. at 575. Beaman’s conspiracy allegations amount to a claim that the defendants are culpable solely for the prosecutor’s decision not to dis-close exculpatory evidence to Beaman’s attorneys. But our case law has established that the police generally discharge their Brady duty by turning over exculpatory evidence to the prosecutor, thereby triggering the prosecutor’s disclosure obligation. See Carvajal, 542 F.3d at 566.

Affirmed.

14-1195 Beaman v. Freesmeyer

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, McDade, J., Williams, J.

Full Text