Washington v. Mccoy

During the trial of defendant, Larry James McCoy, on charges of possession of a controlled substance, the trial court ordered the state to disclose the identity of a secret informer. The state applied for a writ of certiorari to have the disclosure order reviewed. The state represented in its petition that the order could not be carried out without violating a confidence promised by the police to the informer, and that the state would seek dismissal of the case in the event disclosure was compelled.