Opinion ID: 1903773
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the trial court erred in allowing admission of a photo lineup identification of mcdowell.

Text: ¶ 12. In concluding that Aderer's statement to Lessner was not so impermissibly suggestive as to invalidate Lessner's identification of McDowell, the trial court applied the balancing test articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Neil v. Biggers, 409 U.S. 188, 199, 93 S.Ct. 375, 34 L.Ed.2d 401 (1972). The Biggers factors include: a. the opportunity of the witness to view the criminal at the time of the crime; b. the witness' degree of attention; c. the accuracy of the witness' prior description of the criminal; d. the level of certainty demonstrated by the witness at the confrontation; and e. the length of time between the crime and the confrontation. Biggers, 409 U.S. at 199, 93 S.Ct. 375. A trial court's ruling on the admissibility of a witness identification is reviewed for clear error. Id. at 200, 93 S.Ct. 375. When reviewing a trial court's findings regarding a pretrial identification which the defendant seeks to suppress, we consider whether or not substantial evidence supports the trial court's findings that, considering the totality of the circumstances, incourt identification testimony was not impermissibly tainted, and we will disturb the findings of the lower court only where there is an absence of substantial credible evidence supporting it. Brooks v. State, 748 So.2d 736, 741 (Miss.1999) (citations omitted). Under this standard, even unnecessary and suggestive evidence of an out-of-court identification may be admissible if the identification itself is reliable under the Biggers factors. York v. State, 413 So.2d 1372, 1382 (Miss.1982) relying on Manson v. Brathwaite, 432 U.S. 98, 97 S.Ct. 2243, 53 L.Ed.2d 140 (1977)([R]eliability is the linchpin in determining the admissibility [of out-of-court identifications]....). ¶ 13. In the case sub judice, McDowell offers only two real reasons for suppressing Lessner's identification of him from the photographic lineup: (1) the statement by Aderer to Lessner and (2) the fact that McDowell's picture happened to be in the first slot. However, Lessner is not a layman who was a victim of a sudden crime. Rather, he is a highly trained police officer who was clearly paying very close attention to McDowell both before and during the transaction. Lessner also described McDowell to Aderer and Corr via radio as he was leaving the crime scene, and apparently pointed McDowell out from the video tape within a few hours of the transaction and prior to making the photo identification. When shown McDowell's picture in a lineup the next day, Lessner showed no hesitation in picking McDowell out. ¶ 14. In light of the foregoing, we conclude that substantial evidence supported the reliability of Lessner's identification of McDowell, and admission of that identification under the facts of this case was not clearly erroneous. This issue is without merit. However, while the admission of the identification in spite of Aderer's comment does not rise to the level of reversible error under the facts of this case, we caution law enforcement officers that they should refrain from any possibly suggestive comments to witnesses attempting to identify suspects from a photo lineup.