Opinion ID: 2001143
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: admitting the identification testimony of lamar quickle and judith di pretore.

Text: The appellant claims that the trial court erred in admitting the identification testimony of Mr. Quickle and Ms. DiPretore on the ground that it was the product of an unconstitutionally suggestive confrontation. The identification testimony of Mr. Quickle and Ms. DiPretore related to a June 21, 1974 robbery of a supermarket in Delaware County. The police had arrived during the robbery and in the ensuing confusion appellant had lost his mask. It was at this time that Mr. Quickle and Ms. DiPretore had an opportunity to see the appellant. Subsequently the witnesses were shown a ten photo array but failed to identify the appellant in any of these photographs. During a luncheon recess on April 23, 1976, Mr. Quickle and Ms. DiPretore were brought into the courtroom by Detective O'Shea to speak to the prosecutor. Testimony indicated that the witnesses came without expectation that defendants would still be in the courtroom of that they would be able to identify any of the defendants. At the time the witnesses entered, appellant, his co-defendants and their attorneys were present in the front of the courtroom. The witnesses upon seeing appellant exclaimed that's the man. It was a result of this confrontation that witnesses Quickle and DiPretore testified that they recognized the appellant as the person who had robbed the supermarket. Appellant claims that these circumstances for identification were improper and suggestive. The lower court judge received testimony at a mid-trial suppression hearing concerning why the witnesses were present at that particular time and how the witnesses had identified the appellant. The trial judge had accepted the testimony of Detective O'Shea and the witnesses as true and determined that given the circumstances this was not an improper or suggestive viewing. First it must be stated that it is not the task of the court to engage in de novo evaluation of testimony. Commonwealth v. Lutz, 492 Pa. 500, 424 A.2d 1302 (1981). The trial court after hearing testimony, determined that there was nothing in the encounter to suggest deliberate staging. It also determined that there was no impermissibly suggestive factor in the picture framed by the group of five or six men from which he was recognized and that the spontaneity of the recognition negated any suggestion that the identifications were the product of consultation and reflection of the two witnesses. This Court will not re-evaluate the testimony of these findings. Rather, accepting them as true, we will determine whether admitting this evidence was proper. This Court has consistently held that where it has been determined that the confrontation between the accused and the accusor is uncontrived, any spontaneous identification is proper. Commonwealth v. White, 447 Pa. 331, 290 A.2d 246 (1972); Commonwealth v. Wilcox, 481 Pa. 284, 392 A.2d 1294 (1978). Therefore, the trial court did not err in admitting this identification testimony. Appellant's contention is without merit.