Opinion ID: 2054485
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Identification by Debra Mark.

Text: 1. Viewing of the criminal. Mark observed the vaulter for about two seconds as he ran toward her teller window, about 1:57 P.M., when the bank was well lit. She viewed his full face for three to four seconds, and the left side of his face for an additional six to eleven seconds, from a distance of one and one-half to two feet. She gave the description recited above shortly after the incident. 2. Viewing of the first ( Boston police ) array. When she viewed the three books of photos of the Boston police, Mark was extremely emotional, and cried continually, due to the impact of the recent crime. Although the remark of the detective that she should look carefully because robbers often wore disguises, and his action in pointing to the two pictures of the defendant as an example, contained some suggestiveness, the two pictures were sufficiently dissimilar as not to focus Mark specifically on the defendant. The comment was made in good faith by the detective as general advice, and he was not attempting to accentuate the defendant (although the defendant was the only person whose pictures appeared in the books both in disguise and without). Because of the large array of pictures (200) and Mark's emotional state, the remark had no impact upon her. 3. Viewing of the final ( bank security ) array. This display was found to be suggestive both of the defendant and of Ulatowski, both of whose pictures appeared three times in it. However, it apparently made no impression on Mark, since she was unable to make an identification from the display. All photographic displays had been shown to Mark within the week following the incident. Despite the slightly suggestive remark of the Boston police detective and the suggestive display of photographs shown to her by the bank security agent, no impact was made upon her. Her descriptions were consistent as given to different government agents, and were reasonably approximate to the defendant as he appeared in the courtroom in profile, build, and color of skin. 4. Viewing of the defendant at the lineup. Although she was told that there would be a suspect in both of the lineups, she felt under no compulsion to make an identification, and her state of mind in viewing them was that there might not be anyone whom she would recognize. She viewed the Ulatowski lineup and knew immediately that she recognized no one in it, and so marked her sheet. As the Correia lineup was being set up, she observed the first four participants and knew immediately that she could identify none of them. She then viewed participants five and six, and immediately recognized the defendant, because of the face, his height, his build, his high forehead, and his light coloring. The wig exercise helped to confirm her identification. The fact that the wig used in the lineup was different in color and texture from the one found near the bank, and differed sharply from the description of hair color she had given, was of no consequence to her since she based her identification on the other attributes. She placed no reliance on the exercise regarding the sunglasses, which she had requested, in making her identification. The judge found that Mark's identification was made at a lineup which was fairly conducted, was based upon an adequate opportunity to view the person present in her teller's cage, and was made entirely apart from any suggestiveness that might have existed in the photographic displays. 5. Post-lineup conversations. The conversations which the representatives of the district attorney had with Mark were not purposefully calculated by the agents of the Commonwealth to be suggestive, but were attempts to assuage her fear of testifying in court. Though the subsequent meetings to confirm the identification taken alone would be suggestive, the judge found that they were not sufficient to require suppression of her identification, because it was definite and firm as of the date of the lineup. Whatever suggestiveness existed in the conversations that took place at a later date had no effect on her observations and conclusions as to the identification. Her identification was not influenced in any way by these conversations. The judge therefore permitted her identification to stand.