Opinion ID: 53035
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motion to Suppress In-court Identification

Text: While waiting for his state trial to begin, Irwin and four other prisoners were placed in the jury box. Irwin and two of the other prisoners observed the prosecutor speaking to DeLacerna and nodding toward the jury box. Irwin and the prisoners believed the prosecutor pointed Irwin out to DeLacerna. Irwin told his attorney of these events, who promptly moved to suppress DeLacerna’s in-court identification. The state court held a suppression hearing, during which DeLacerna admitted that he was unable to identify Irwin until the prosecutor had pointed Irwin out and showed DeLacerna a mug shot of Irwin. However, DeLacerna stood by his identification of Irwin on the night of December 31, 1998. Irwin argued that DeLacerna’s in-court identification was tainted based on the prosecutor’s actions and should be suppressed. The state court denied Irwin’s motion to suppress.