Opinion ID: 1210171
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Pre-indictment Identification

Text: Defendant next contends that the trial court committed prejudicial error in permitting the introduction of evidence of the pre-indictment identification of defendant by victim Kersey. Although defendant had been previously advised of his right to counsel at all stages, he was not specifically informed that he had a right to counsel at this confrontation. In United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218 [18 L.Ed.2d 1149, 87 S.Ct. 1926], the court held that a defendant who was required to appear in a post-indictment lineup without the presence of counsel was confronted in violation of his Sixth Amendment rights, and that his subsequent in-court identification was erroneously admitted unless it could be shown that such identification had an origin independent of the illegal lineup; in the absence of a showing of independent origin, defendant's conviction should be reversed unless it was determined that the erroneous admission was harmless. In Gilbert v. California, 388 U.S. 263 [18 L.Ed.2d 1178, 87 S.Ct. 1951], the court vacated a judgment of conviction because evidence of the illegal post-indictment lineup identification had been introduced by the prosecution, such admission being per se erroneous, and held that the judgment should be reversed unless it were shown, upon remand, that the error was harmless. In Kirby v. Illinois, 406 U.S. 682 [32 L.Ed.2d 411, 92 S.Ct. 1877], a plurality opinion by Justice Stewart, joined in by the Chief Justice and two other justices, declined to extend the Wade-Gilbert per se exclusionary rule to identification testimony based upon a police station showup that took place before the defendant had been indicted or otherwise formally charged with any criminal offense. A fifth justice concurred in the result on the ground that he would not extend the Wade-Gilbert per se exclusionary rule. (6) For purposes of the instant case, we may assume arguendo that Wade-Gilbert principles applied and that defendant was entitled to counsel at the pre-indictment confrontation with victim Kersey. (See People v. Martin, 2 Cal.3d 822, 828-830 [87 Cal. Rptr. 709, 471 P.2d 29] involving non-lineup identification by the victim based upon viewing defendant through a one-way mirror at the police station.) The record indicates, however, that trial counsel failed to object to, or move to strike or suppress, the identification evidence offered at trial. It is now well established that the issue of the presence of counsel at lineup or showup confrontations cannot be raised for the first time on appeal. ( People v. Williams, supra, 2 Cal.3d 894, 909; see People v. Martin, supra, 2 Cal.3d 822, 832, fn. 11.) As noted in Williams, had defendant objected to this evidence, the prosecution would have had the opportunity to show that defendant in fact was represented at the confrontation, or waived such representation. Moreover, the prosecution might have been able to show that Kersey's in-court identification of defendant had an origin independent of the confrontation at police headquarters. ( United States v. Wade, supra, 388 U.S. 218.) Having concluded that defendant waived his right to raise the Wade-Gilbert issue on appeal, we need not consider the People's further contention that the introduction of evidence regarding the pre-indictment identification was harmless error in view of the circumstantial evidence linking defendant to the crime charged.