No. 24-6358

James David Watwood v. David Newcomer, Warden

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-01-22
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: compulsory-process confidential-records due-process government-witness impeachment-evidence sixth-amendment
Key Terms:
DueProcess
Latest Conference: 2025-03-21
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Is a criminal defendant's Sixth Amendment right to Compulsory Process or Fourteenth Amendment right to due process violated when access to impeaching and exculpatory evidence in third-party confidential medical records about a government witness is denied?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Is a criminal defendant's Sixth Amendment right to Compulsory Process or Fourteenth Amendment right to due process, right to present a defense, and a right to a fair trial violated when what can be loosely defined as a criminal defendant's "constitutionally guaranteed access" to impeaching and exculpatory evidence contained in third party, confidential medical and mental health records about a sole government witness with severe indicia of dysfunction (that implicates the witness's competency), is denied while access to the same records if held bv a government entity is granted ? 1 STATEMENT OF

Docket Entries

2025-03-24
Petition DENIED.
2025-02-27
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/21/2025.
2025-02-26
Waiver of David Newcomer of right to respond submitted.
2025-02-26
Waiver of right of respondent David Newcomer to respond filed.
2025-01-14
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due February 21, 2025)

Attorneys

David Newcomer
Erika Lauren MaleyVirginia Office of the Attorney General, Respondent
James David Watwood
James David Watwood — Petitioner