You can keep the other CoDs in the dark to a point, but the Rules of Discovery generally require that CoD or Accomplice statements given to law enforcement be turned over in advance of trial. However, if a defendant wants to negotiate with the prosecution, there is a procedure where a CoD can make an offer of proof as to what he would testify to at trial. The State can accept or reject the offer, but if the plea offer is rejected it cannot be used against the defendant making the offer at his own trial, and really could not be used at another CoDs trial becuase he cannot be compelled to testify. In criminal cases the right to confrontation exists for all witness testimony and a hearsay statement could not be used (although there is a conspiracy theory that is an exception and requires a Court ruling to enter the coconspirator testimony. In that case I would expect that the Court would order the offer of proof turned over against the CoD that was being tried. You still could not use it against the one who made the offer in his trial, or in any future hearing or proceeding, either criminal or civil. This could vary how a Court might deal with forcing such hearsay into the record. Some make statements initially and some don't. If the government has sufficient information to determine relative culpability, the government could make an attractive offer to a lesser culpable CoD to elicit the help. Once getting that help, often by turning over what the testimony will be to the target CoD, that could force a plea also. However, the uncooroborated testimony of a codefendant is insufficient by itself to meet the standard of proof necessary in a criminal trial. You have to have something in addition to codefendant testimony and that goes for unindicted coconspirators, also.
The bottomline is that at some point, if you have a cooperating defendant, you will have to advise the target that you intend to use the other CoD and what his testimony will be. You can't blindside someone at trial, if you have knowledge of their cooperation. You also are generally required to reveal the deal that was made with the testifying CoD. Often times the State will say, we don't want to specify the deal until you testify truthfully. Making the specifics of the deal up front often times results in less than truthful performance by the State's witness...particularly if they have been pled and sentenced in advance. It has happened that CoDs in that situation elect to say, "I did it. It was only me. Please let my grandmother go...etc." But, didn't you tell us that your grandmother is a terrorist murderer. I did, but I lied.
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