Opinion ID: 3170715
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Showup

Text: At the school, defendant was required to get out of the police vehicle and to stand between an officer and Wimbush so C.W. could view him through the glass entryway doors to the school. During C.W.’s direct testimony she described how she made her identification. [Prosecutor:] Now, you said they showed you the man and he was outside; is that right? [C.W.:] Yes. [Prosecutor:] Okay. What was he wearing, do you remember? [C.W.:] He just had on a black shirt. At first I didn’t recognize him, then they put the jacket back on and I realized it was him. [Prosecutor:] Okay. So you recognized the jacket; is that correct? [C.W.:] Yes. On cross-examination, C.W. acknowledged that prior to the showup, the police told her that they had caught the man that she had encountered on her way to school. She also testified that she never viewed a lineup, that she was never given pictures of other individuals, and that the only person they 8 ever showed her was defendant. Her cross-examination also revealed the following: [Defense Counsel:] You testified he was wearing a ski mask; is that correct? [C.W.:] Yes. [Defense Counsel:] So his face was covered? [C.W.:] Yes. [Defense Counsel:] So you wasn’t sure what he looked like as far as his face, correct? [C.W.:] Yes. [Defense Counsel:] All right. Did they show you a ski mask? [C.W.:] No. [Defense Counsel:] So, when you say you recognized [defendant], you really didn’t recognize [defendant], you recognized the jacket; is that correct? [C.W.:] Yes. Contrary to C.W.’s testimony, Officer Olschewski testified that he placed the jacket on defendant prior to arriving at the school. He said that “prior to getting to the school, I did put the coat, that was recovered at the rear of the scene [near where defendant was arrested], onto the arrestee, and I put the cuffs back on him.” In his testimony, Olschewski informed the jury that he stood near defendant during the showup identification and that, “not even a short time later, [he] was advised that the victim had identified the defendant as the 9 party who had exposed himself to her.” Wimbush’s testimony confirmed that he too stood near defendant during the showup identification. According to Officer Cruz’s testimony, defendant “was wearing a plaid jacket and dark pants” when C.W. identified him; Cruz identified defendant in court as the man that C.W. “identified” at the school. Thus, although C.W. testified that she could not identify the man brought to her for the showup and that she could identify only the jacket once it was on him, both Olschewski and Cruz testified that she, the victim, “identified” defendant. Indeed, the trial court included an identification charge when instructing the jury.