Opinion ID: 1498196
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Motion to Suppress and Motion to Quash

Text: Appellant next challenged the denials of his motions to suppress certain evidence and to quash the indictments. Both motions were based upon the same grounds, the allegedly unlawful gathering of evidence in three incidents. [6] First, appellant argued that a sawed-off shotgun, several shotgun shells, and a revolver box obtained during the search of his car should have been suppressed because the search was in violation of his constitutional rights. The lower court, having found that these items were discovered in plain view during a valid inventory procedure subsequent to appellant's arrest, concluded that there was no violation of appellant's rights. We agree with that conclusion. The United States Supreme Court has upheld the use of evidence found during an inventory of an automobile even though it was not in plain view. South Dakota v. Opperman, 428 U.S. 364, 96 S.Ct. 3092, 49 L.Ed.2d 1000 (1976). In that case, the car had been impounded because of several violations of parking ordinances. The contested evidence was found in the glove compartment as a result of a routine inventory which was conducted pursuant to the standard procedures of the police department. Id. at 372, 96 S.Ct. 3092. The Court noted that the police were engaged in a caretaking search of a lawfully impounded vehicle which was free of any pretext of investigatory motives and concluded that, under those circumstances, the conduct of the police was not unreasonable under the constitution. Id. at 376, 96 S.Ct. 3092. In the instant case, the lower court found that it was essential to impound appellant's car after his arrest, that the inventory procedure was standard practice when a car had been impounded, and that the items were discovered in plain view. These findings are supported by the record. [7] The conduct of the police in these circumstances was well within the permissible limits of Opperman, and, therefore, appellant's constitutional rights were not violated. See also Cady v. Dombrowski, 413 U. S. 433, 93 S.Ct. 2523, 37 L.Ed.2d 706 (1973) and Harris v. United States, 390 U.S. 234, 88 S.Ct. 992, 19 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1968). Second, appellant argued that a statement regarding his participation in a robbery in Harrisburg was involuntarily given to the Ohio authorities. The lower court heard this matter pursuant to Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed.2d 908 (1964). Our review is limited to the court's conclusions in that we must accept the findings of fact if supported by the evidence. Commonwealth v. Harmon, 440 Pa. 195, 269 A.2d 744 (1970); Commonwealth v. Tabb, 433 Pa. 204, 249 A.2d 546 (1969). The lower court found that appellant was given all the Miranda warnings; that there was no evidence of compulsion, force, or undue persuasion; that appellant initiated the questioning himself by stating that he wished to make a statement; and that the statement was not given out of concern for the comfort of his companion. Since these findings are supported by the record, we cannot find that the court erred in its conclusion that the statement was voluntarily given and appellant's rights were not violated. Commonwealth v. Sharpe, 449 Pa. 35, 296 A.2d 519 (1972). In addition to his voluntariness argument, appellant, analogizing to Commonwealth v. Futch, 447 Pa. 389, 290 A.2d 417 (1972), asserted that his statement should have been suppressed because it was a product of unnecessary delay in the appointment of counsel. The Futch decision was based upon Rule 118 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. [8] The instant case does not present a situation within the parameters of that rule and we will not extend Futch to cover these facts. Third, appellant argued that the identification methods used at both the photographic viewings and the extradition hearing were violative of due process and therefore, the identifications should have been suppressed. Three separate violations were alleged: (1) the photographic viewings were unduly suggestive; (2) subsequent identifications at the extradition hearing were tainted by the prior improper procedures and further undue suggestion; and (3) appellant was not represented by counsel at the photographic viewings. Initially, we note that the record supports the lower court's findings that there was no evidence of undue suggestion at either the photographic viewings or the extradition hearing. Regardless, it is urged by the Commonwealth that the identifications made during the trial were not based upon these pre-trial identifications but were independent of them. However, to determine if these identifications were independent of any possible improprieties, we should consider the factors set out by the United States Supreme Court: . . . the prior opportunity to observe the alleged criminal act, the existence of any discrepancy between any pre-lineup description and the defendant's actual description, any identification prior to lineup of any person, the identification by picture of the defendant prior to the lineup, failure to identify the defendant on a prior occasion, and the lapse of time between the alleged act and the lineup identification. United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 241, 87 S.Ct. 1926, 1940, 18 L. Ed.2d 1149 (1967). See Commonwealth v. Wilson, 450 Pa. 296, 301 A.2d 823 (1973). The record reveals the following: (1) the witnesses had between five to ten minutes to observe appellant during this incident in good lighting conditions; (2) at no time did they identify any other person, or fail to identify appellant as the perpetrator of the crimes; (3) the picture identifications were made about one month after the incident; (4) the witnesses stated that they identified appellant not because they had seen his picture but because he was the perpetrator. We conclude that the identifications were shown by clear and convincing evidence to be independent of any allegedly improper procedures and were, therefore, properly admitted. Commonwealth v. Richards, 458 Pa. 455, 467, 327 A.2d 63, 68-69 (1974) and Commonwealth v. Whiting, 439 Pa. 205, 266 A.2d 738 (1970). We find no merit in appellant's argument that the evidence should have been suppressed because he was not represented by counsel at the viewings. Such representation has been granted only at post-arrest viewings. Commonwealth v. Whiting, supra ; cf. Commonwealth v. Richman, 458 Pa. 167, 320 A.2d 351 (1974). The viewings in the instant case occurred prior to appellant's arrest on these charges. [9] For the above reasons, we conclude that the court did not err in denying the motions to suppress evidence and to quash the indictment.