Opinion ID: 2320518
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Meier's Pretrial Identification Admissible

Text: Monroe argues that police also employed impermissibly suggestive procedures before Meier's out-of-court identification. Meier was interviewed by Detective Smith two days after Ferrell's death and shown a six-person photographic lineup. Monroe argues that Detective Smith's preliminary statements and questions were designed to influence Meier's identification towards Monroe. The record reflects that Detective Smith asked Meier whether she thought she could make an identification and that Meier indicated she was unsure. Detective Smith told Meier that she wanted Meier to look at the photographs and see if she recognized anybody but if she didn't, that was fine. Meier then reviewed the lineup and selected Monroe, stating [i]f I had to just flash, I would have to say him. Meier also stated that Monroe's photograph looked most like the person she saw at the crime scene two days earlier. The Superior Court found Detective Smith's conduct of the photographic lineup and her statements were appropriate under the circumstances. Again applying the two-part Younger analysis, the Superior Court ruled that Meier's identification was not the product of pre-lineup procedures that were so impermissibly suggestive as to give rise to a very substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification. [43] Second, and alternatively, the trial judge assumed arguendo impermissible suggestiveness and applied the five Neil v. Biggers ' factors to Meier's identification. The trial judge noted that Meier had two separate opportunities to view Monroe. She first saw him walking through the parking lot after the homicide and then again, running towards the Lexington Green Apartments. The trial judge noted that rather than identifying Monroe unequivocally, Meier actually said Monroe's photograph looked the most like the person she saw. The Superior Court concluded that, under the totality of the circumstances, Meier's out-of-court identification was reliable. We hold that the trial judge's factual findings and legal conclusion are supported by the record. Meier's out-of-court identification of Monroe was properly admitted into evidence. Meier's statements at the time of her identification were known to Monroe's attorney and were proper subjects for cross-examination and closing argument.