State v. Walston
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The Supreme Court reversed Defendant's conviction of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs, methamphetamine, and criminal possession of dangerous drugs, methamphetamine, holding that the district court erred in denying Defendant's motion to disclose the identity of a confidential informant.
After Defendant was charged, Defendant filed a motion asking the district court to compel the State to disclose the identity of the confidential informant that led to Defendant's arrest. The district court denied the motion. After a second trial, the jury convicted Defendant. On appeal, Defendant argued that she had the right to know the identity of the informant because the informant played a continuous, active, and primary role in the alleged crime. The Supreme Court agreed, holding that, considering the circumstances of the case balanced against the public's interest in withholding the confidential informant's identity, the district court erred in denying Defendant's motion to compel disclosure of the informant's identity.
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