Opinion ID: 202406
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The conversation at the station

Text: 71 Kominsky also was contradicted on the important question of whether his shift supervisor on the night of Henderson's arrest, who considered himself Kominsky's mentor, provided Kominsky with an opportunity to fabricate his recollection that Henderson was not wearing a seatbelt. As we discussed above, Kominsky testified that he made a statement about the purported seatbelt violation while talking to Henderson at the scene. As already noted, the district court rejected this account. No other witness testified that Kominsky said anything about a seatbelt violation before returning to the police station. Oliveira testified that Kominsky said nothing about a seatbelt to him at the scene. Kominsky did not actually write a seatbelt citation until he returned to the station. The district court expressed interest in this sequence, telling defense counsel: I told you that I'm interested in knowing what happened back at the station and whether there was any discussion about the ticket. Ordinarily, I don't call witnesses. But don't you want to ask [his shift supervisor] that? 72 Philip Tuck, who was Kominsky's direct supervisor on the night of Henderson's arrest, testified at the second suppression hearing, largely at the district court's urging. Defense counsel said: I do not have any intention of calling Sergeant Tuck, immediately before the remarks by the district court above. After the district court again asked: do you want to call Sergeant Tuck? defense counsel agreed to call the witness, responding: I'm happy — yes, your Honor, I'll put him up on the stand. In the end, after some questioning by both counsel, the district court examined Tuck itself, at some length. 5 73 Tuck said that he felt a certain fondness for Kominsky and watched out for him. Tuck testified that when Kominsky returned to the station with Henderson, he asked him why he had stopped Alford's vehicle and why he had asked Henderson to get out of the car. We reproduce that testimony in part: 74 THE COURT: When Mr. Henderson was arrested, did you have some discussion with Mr. Kominsky about the law with regard to when you could properly ask a passenger for identification? 75 TUCK: I believe I asked him his reason for having Mr. Henderson get out of the vehicle. 76