california trombetta argued april decided june stopped unrelated incidents suspicion drunken driving california highways respondent submitted intoxilyzer test registered concentration high enough presumed intoxicated california law although technically feasible preserve samples respondents breath arresting officers ordinary practice respondents charged driving intoxicated prior trial municipal denied respondent motion suppress intoxilyzer test results ground arresting officers failed preserve samples respondents breath respondents claim enabled impeach incriminating test results ultimately consolidated proceedings california appeal ruled respondents favor concluding due process demanded arresting officers preserve breath samples held due process clause fourteenth amendment require law enforcement agencies preserve breath samples order introduce results tests trial thus state failure preserve breath samples respondents constitute violation federal constitution pp extent respondents breath samples came california authorities possession limited purpose providing raw data intoxilyzer evidence presented trial breath rather intoxilyzer results obtained breath samples authorities destroy breath samples calculated effort circumvent due process requirement brady maryland progeny state disclose criminal defendants material evidence possession failing preserve samples authorities acted good faith accord normal practice pp importantly california policy preserving breath samples without constitutional defect constitutional duty preserve evidence limited evidence might expected play role suspect defense evidence must possess exculpatory value apparent destroyed must also nature defendant unable obtain comparable evidence reasonably available means neither conditions met facts case pp marshall delivered opinion unanimous filed concurring opinion post charles kirk deputy attorney general california argued cause petitioner briefs john van de kamp attorney general william stein assistant attorney general gloria de hart deputy attorney general john demeo argued cause respondents brief thomas kenney frederick haley john pettis briefs amici curiae urging reversal filed state minnesota et al hubert humphrey iii attorney general minnesota james early special assistant attorney general thomas fabel deputy attorney general jim smith attorney general florida linley pearson attorney general indiana edwin lloyd tittman attorney general mississippi mike greely attorney general montana appellate committee california district attorney association john vance national district attorneys association et al david crump wayne schmidt james manak edwin miller george schraer lisa short filed brief state public defender california amicus curiae urging affirmance briefs amici curiae filed state north carolina rufus edmisten attorney general isaac avery iii special deputy attorney general county los angeles robert philibosian harry sondheim john messer california public defender association et al albert menaster william thornbury ephraim margolin justice marshall delivered opinion due process clause fourteenth amendment requires state disclose criminal defendants favorable evidence material either guilt punishment agurs brady maryland case raises question whether fourteenth amendment also demands state preserve potentially exculpatory evidence behalf defendants particular question presented whether due process clause requires law enforcement agencies preserve breath samples suspected drunken drivers order results tests admissible criminal prosecutions omicron intoxilyzer intoxilyzer device used california measure concentration alcohol blood motorists suspected driving influence intoxicating liquor intoxilyzer analyzes suspect breath operate device law enforcement officers follow procedures prior test device purged pumping clean air readings obtained breath test requires sample alveolar deep lung air assure sample obtained subject required blow air intoxilyzer constant pressure period several seconds breath sample captured intoxilyzer chamber infrared light used sense alcohol level two samples taken result indicated printout card two tests must register within order admissible test chamber purged clean air checked reading zero alcohol machine calibrated weekly calibration results well portion calibration samples available defendant cal app cal rptr citations omitted prior trial municipal respondent filed motion suppress intoxilyzer test results ground arresting officers failed preserve samples respondents breath although preservation breath samples technically feasible california law enforcement officers ordinarily preserve breath samples made effort cases respondents claimed breath sample preserved able impeach incriminating intoxilyzer results respondents motions suppress denied respondents ward berry submitted cases police records convicted ward berry subsequently petitioned california appeal writs habeas corpus respondents trombetta cox submit trial sought direct appeal municipal orders appeals eventually transferred appeal consolidated ward berry petitions california appeal ruled favor respondents implicitly accepting breath samples useful respondents defenses reviewed available technologies determined arresting officers capacity preserve breath samples respondents cal app cal relying heavily california decision people hitch cal appeal concluded due process demands simply evidence collected state intoxilyzer breath testing device law enforcement agencies must establish follow rigorous systematic procedures preserve captured evidence equivalent use defendant cal app cal granted respondents ward berry new trials ordered intoxilyzer results admitted evidence two respondents state unsuccessfully petitioned certiorari california petitioned review granted certiorari reverse ii due process clause fourteenth amendment criminal prosecutions must comport prevailing notions fundamental fairness long interpreted standard fairness require criminal defendants afforded meaningful opportunity present complete defense safeguard right developed might loosely called area constitutionally guaranteed access evidence taken together group constitutional privileges delivers exculpatory evidence hands accused thereby protecting innocent erroneous conviction ensuring integrity criminal justice system rudimentary cases impose upon prosecution constitutional obligation report defendant trial whenever government witnesses lie oath napue illinois see also mooney holohan criminal defendants entitled much protection perjury defendant constitutionally protected privilege request obtain prosecution evidence either material guilt defendant relevant punishment imposed brady maryland even absence specific request prosecution constitutional duty turn exculpatory evidence raise reasonable doubt defendant guilt agurs prosecution must also reveal contents plea agreements key government witnesses see giglio circumstances may required disclose identity undercover informants possess evidence critical defense roviaro less clear cases extent due process clause imposes government additional responsibility guaranteeing criminal defendants access exculpatory evidence beyond government possession occasions suggested federal government might transgress constitutional limitations exercised sovereign powers hamper criminal defendant preparation trial instance marion lovasco intimated due process violation might occur government delayed indictment long defendant ability mount effective defense impaired similarly supra acknowledged government offend due process clause fifth amendment deporting potential witnesses diminished defendant opportunity put effective defense however never squarely addressed government duty take affirmative steps preserve evidence behalf criminal defendants absence doctrinal development area reflects part difficulty developing rules deal evidence destroyed prosecutorial neglect oversight whenever potentially exculpatory evidence permanently lost courts face treacherous task divining import materials whose contents unknown often disputed cf supra moreover fashioning remedies illegal destruction evidence pose troubling choices nondisclosure cases grant defendant new trial previously suppressed evidence may introduced evidence destroyed violation constitution must choose barring prosecution suppressing california appeal case state probative evidence one case discussed due process constraints government failure preserve potentially exculpatory evidence killian killian petitioner convicted giving false testimony violation key element government case investigatory report prepared federal bureau investigation solicitor general conceded prior petitioner trial agents prepared investigatory report destroyed preliminary notes made interviewing witnesses petitioner argued notes helpful defense agents violated due process clause destroying exculpatory evidence denying notes might contributed petitioner defense ruled destruction rise level constitutional violation agents notes made purpose transferring data thereon served purpose destroyed agents good faith accord normal practices clear destruction constitute impermissible destruction evidence deprive petitioner right given precedents area agree california appeal state failure retain breath samples respondents constitutes violation federal constitution begin california authorities case destroy respondents breath samples calculated effort circumvent disclosure requirements established brady maryland progeny failing preserve breath samples respondents officers acting good faith accord normal practice killian supra record contains allegation official animus towards respondents conscious effort suppress exculpatory evidence importantly california policy preserving breath samples without constitutional defect whatever duty constitution imposes preserve evidence duty must limited evidence might expected play significant role suspect defense meet standard constitutional materiality see agurs evidence must possess exculpatory value apparent evidence destroyed nature defendant unable obtain comparable evidence reasonably available means neither conditions met facts case although preservation breath samples might conceivably contributed respondents defenses dispassionate review intoxilyzer california testing procedures lead one conclude chances extremely low preserved samples exculpatory accuracy intoxilyzer reviewed certified california department health protect suspects machine malfunctions department developed test procedures include two independent measurements must closely correlated results admissible bracketed blank runs designed ensure machine purged alcohol traces previous tests see supra tiny fraction cases preserved breath samples simply confirm intoxilyzer determination defendant high level concentration time test intoxilyzer indicated respondents legally drunk breath samples much likely provide inculpatory exculpatory evidence even one assume intoxilyzer results case inaccurate breath samples might therefore exculpatory follow respondents without alternative means demonstrating innocence respondents amici identified limited number ways intoxilyzer might malfunction faulty calibration extraneous interference machine measurements operator error see brief respondents brief california public defender association et al amici curiae respondents perfectly capable raising issues without resort preserved breath samples protect faulty calibration california gives drunken driving defendants opportunity inspect machine used test breath well machine weekly calibration results breath samples used calibrations see supra respondents utilized data impeach machine reliability improper measurements parties identified two sources capable interfering test results radio waves chemicals appear blood dieting defendants whose test results might affected either factors remains possible introduce trial evidence demonstrating defendant dieting time test test conducted near source radio waves finally operator error defendant retains right law enforcement officer administered intoxilyzer test attempt raise doubts mind factfinder whether test properly administered iii conclude therefore due process clause fourteenth amendment require law enforcement agencies preserve breath samples order introduce results tests trial accordingly judgment california appeal reversed case remanded proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered footnotes california law drunken driving suspects given choice concentration determined either blood test urine test breath test cal veh code ann west supp suspects refuse submit test liable driving licenses suspended ibid california department health approved device known intoximeter field tube encapsulation kit kit officers use preserve breath samples app use kit suspect must breathe directly indium tube preserves samples three separate chambers see cal app cal rptr breath trapped chamber later used determine suspect concentration use laboratory instrument known gas chromatograph intoximeter also approved california department health app suspect must breathe directly indium tube kit used preserve breath sample used intoxilyzer test see supra devices similar function kit attached intoxilyzer used collect air intoxilyzer purges see brief respondents none devices yet received approval california department health see reply brief petitioner california appeal expressed doubt whether respondents trombetta cox entitled appeal suppression orders ultimately ordered appeals dismissed cal app cal however ruled merits claims thereby exercised jurisdiction appeals cal trombetta cox appeal decision comparable judgment affirming suppression order reviewable michigan clifford people hitch involved another device used measure concentrations device suspect breath bubbles glass ampoule containing special chemicals change colors depending amount alcohol suspect blood cal keeping california procedures law enforcement officials hitch discarded ampoule completed testing even though ampoule might saved retesting defendant relying decisions brady maryland giglio california concluded due process clause implicated state intentionally destroys evidence might proved favorable criminal defendant cal hitch decision noteworthy extrapolated brady disclosure requirement additional constitutional duty part prosecutors preserve potentially exculpatory evidence see note right independent testing new hitch preservation evidence doctrine colum rev cf bryant app wright government must make earnest efforts preserve crucial materials find discovery request made number years uncertainty whether california courts extend hitch decision intoxilyzer people miller cal app cal rptr appeal panel refused extend hitch intoxilyzer reduce breath samples preservable form comparable ampoules created device involved hitch appeal trombetta declined follow miller reasoned long methods preserving specimens indium tube kit see supra state obliged preserve breath sample equivalent one used intoxilyzer cal app cal related cases arising sixth fourteenth amendments recognized criminal defendants entitled call witnesses behalf witnesses testified government behalf see davis alaska washington texas accept california appeal conclusion intoxilyzer procedure brought respondents breath samples possession california officials capacity preserve breath samples equivalent actual possession samples see supra prosecutorial disclosure cases imposed similar requirement materiality agurs rejected notion prosecutor constitutional duty routinely deliver entire file defense counsel see also moore illinois know constitutional requirement prosecution make complete detailed accounting defense police investigatory work case intoxilyzer also passed accuracy requirements established national highway traffic safety administration department transportation see fed reg flores results first qualification testing devices measure breath alcohol dept transportation materiality breath samples directly related reliability intoxilyzer degree preserved samples material depends reliable intoxilyzer correlation suggests direct constitutional attack might made sufficiency evidence underlying state case intoxilyzer truly prone erroneous readings intoxilyzer results without might insufficient establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt jackson virginia respondents also protected erroneous testing electing submit urine blood tests see supra state automatically preserved urine blood samples retesting respondents respondents however informed difference various testing procedures asked select among three available methods testing concentrations see cal veh code ann west enacted requiring suspects informed samples retained urine blood tests extent cases turn underlying fairness governmental procedures anomalous permit state justify actions relying procedural alternatives available unknown defendant similarly irrelevant inquiry california permits accused drunken driver second test conducted independent experts since evidence record respondents aware alternative state courts legislatures course remain free adopt rigorous safeguards governing admissibility scientific evidence imposed federal constitution see lauderdale state alaska city lodi hine justice concurring rules concerning preservation evidence generally matters state federal constitutional law see augenblick failure preserve breath samples render prosecution fundamentally unfair thus render tests inadmissible evidence accused similarly failure employ alternative methods testing concentrations due process concern persons presumed know rights law existence tests used way affects fundamental fairness convictions actually obtained understand state propositions accordingly join opinion judgment