Opinion ID: 1970162
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Avoiding an impermissibly suggestive identification as part of a deposition.

Text: At common law there was no right to take depositions, except in equity cases or by agreement of the parties. State v. Hamilton, 309 N.W.2d 471, 477 (Iowa 1981). In 1974, we first determined a defendant could take a discovery deposition of a State's witness. State v. Peterson, 219 N.W.2d 665, 669 (Iowa 1974). Subsequent to our decision in Peterson, our rules of criminal procedure authorized a defendant to take a deposition in a criminal proceeding. Iowa R.Crim. P. 2.13(1). This rule has special procedures for taking the deposition of a victim or witness who is a child, but does not contain any special procedures for the deposition of a victim or witness who is not a child. Id. r. 2.13(2). These special procedures allow a victim or witness who is a child to testify at a deposition out of the presence of the defendant, if doing so would contribute to the welfare and well-being of the child. Id. r. 2.13(2)( b ) (authorizing a child to give his or her testimony behind a screen or mirror or in an adjacent room, so long as the defendant can hear or see the child's testimony). Any identification of the defendant made at the deposition is a pretrial out-of-court identification because neither the judge nor the jury is present when the parties take the deposition. An important purpose of a deposition is to allow a defendant to take the testimony of a witness under oath to determine the extent of the witness's knowledge of the facts of the case. The testing of a witness's observation of the physical characteristics of the defendant is crucial to the defense when the defendant's only link to the crime is eyewitness identification. Subsequent to our decisions in Davis and Randle, studies have shown the primary cause for the conviction of innocent people in our criminal justice system is mistaken eyewitness identification. Gary L. Wells, Eyewitness Identification Evidence: Science and Reform, 29 Champion 12 (2005). DNA exoneration cases show the convictions of approximately seventy-five percent of innocent persons involved mistaken eyewitness identification. Id. Therefore, it is important for the courts to ensure that any identification made or influenced by a defendant's presence at the deposition does not create a situation where the procedure has the likelihood of violating a defendant's right to due process of the law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In other words, courts should not permit unnecessarily suggestive identification procedures as a matter of good policy. The seating of a defendant next to his or her counsel at the deposition of an eyewitness is so clearly suggestive as to be impermissible. Cf. United States v. Archibald, 734 F.2d 938, 942-43 (2d Cir.1984) (holding an in-court identification made with the defendant sitting next to his attorney at the counsel's table is so clearly suggestive as to be impermissible). It is a waste of judicial resources and time to subsequently litigate whether an identification made as part of such a deposition should be admitted because it was reliable, as required by the second part of the test set forth in Neil. Judicial resources can be preserved by avoiding a situation that will likely create an impermissibly suggestive procedure and result in an inadmissible identification. See United States v. Brown, 699 F.2d 585, 594 (2d Cir.1983) (holding when the defendant timely objected to an in-court identification by an eyewitness, the trial judge should have directed the government to provide an out-of-court line-up or other protective procedure to avoid an impermissibly suggestive in-court identification). Rule 2.13(1) was implemented to protect a defendant's constitutional rights. It is illogical to permit the State to use a rule designed to protect the defendant's constitutional right of confrontation to create a situation that has the likelihood to deprive a defendant of due process of law. Courts have inherent power to protect a defendant's rights from being violated in a criminal proceeding. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 478-79, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 1630, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, 726 (1966) (requiring the police to inform a person in custody before the police can begin an interrogation of the person's constitutional right against self-incrimination, the right to have an attorney present at the interrogation, and the right to have an attorney appointed for them if the person cannot afford one); State v. Lawrence, 167 N.W.2d 912, 914 (Iowa 1969) (stating the court has inherent power to limit attendance at a trial to reasonably protect the rights of parties and witnesses); State v. Eads, 166 N.W.2d 766, 768-69 (Iowa 1969) (holding courts have inherent power to compel discovery of the State's evidence to protect a defendant's due process rights); Hall v. Washington County, 2 Greene 473, 476-78 (Iowa 1850) (holding courts have inherent authority to compel compensation for an attorney appointed to represent an indigent defendant). To avoid the likelihood that a tainted identification may take place during the part of the deposition when the parties question an eyewitness regarding the identity of the perpetrator of the crime, the district court should allow a defendant to be absent from that part of the deposition. Accordingly, we disavow our holding in Davis and Randle to the extent those cases would require the defendant to be present at the deposition of an eyewitness when it is likely an impermissibly suggestive identification would take place. Therefore, Folkerts' request to be absent from the deposition of the victim during the questioning of the victim as to the perpetrator's identity should have been granted by the district court. As to all cases pending, if the identity of the perpetrator of the crime is at issue and a defendant makes a timely motion to be absent from that part of the deposition when the parties question an eyewitness concerning the identity of the perpetrator of the crime, the court may allow the defendant to be absent during that part of the deposition. If the court allows a defendant to be absent, questions regarding identity should take place at the beginning of the deposition. All parties shall complete their examinations of the witness regarding identity before the defendant is required to be present. After all parties have asked these questions, the defendant shall be required to be present at the deposition.