Opinion ID: 1965447
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The hearing on Ellis' motion to suppress identification

Text: On December 2, 2003 a grand jury returned an indictment charging Ellis with distribution of heroin within one thousand feet of a playground, a daycare center, and a public housing project. On June 18, 2004, Ellis filed a motion to suppress any out-of-court or in-court identification of Ellis, on the ground, inter alia, that each identification was the fruit of an unlawful seizure. A hearing was held on the motion on November 2, 2004. The sole witness at the motions hearing was Officer James Wilson, a member of the arrest team. For the most part, Officer Wilson's testimony was not based on personal knowledge. Rather, Wilson's account was based on a post-arrest conversation with Officer Commodore and on the police documentation of the arrest. Wilson was not present when Ellis was taken into custody, nor did he observe the undercover sale. Officer Wilson testified that he believed that Officer Commodore approached a suspect alleged to be Ellis at around six o'clock in the morning on Georgia Avenue near. Park Road and Morton Street in northwest Washington, D.C. To the best of Wilson's knowledge, Officer Commodore and Ellis had a brief conversation about the possible purchase of narcotics by Officer Commodore, and Ellis told Commodore that he could take him to a location at which Commodore could purchase the drugs that he wanted. Officer Commodore followed Ellis to 620 Morton Street, where, according to Officer Wilson, the two men encountered two other individuals who were standing inside the building. Officer Wilson testified that the walk from Georgia Avenue to 620 Morton Street took approximately two to three minutes, and that Officer Commodore indicate[d] to Officer Wilson that he (Commodore) had an ample opportunity to observe the suspect's face and clothing. Officer Wilson could not recall whether it was light or dark outside at the time that Commodore and the suspect walked to the Morton Street address. Officer Wilson testified that after Officer Commodore arrived at 620 Morton Street, he and one of the sellers engaged in a short conversation, after which Commodore purchased I believe, it was three ziplocks of powder substance from the two men who were standing in the hallway of 620 Morton Street. Officer Wilson confirmed that Officer Commodore did not purchase drugs from the suspect alleged to be Ellis, but from two other individuals. Officer Wilson testified that after the purchase, Officer Commodore broadcast a lookout, for the three subjects, the facilitator and the actual two subjects who sold him the narcotics. [6] On cross-examination, Wilson told the court that he heard the broadcast lookouts, but that he could not, recall the descriptions of the suspects: Q. [Defense counsel] . . . Did you, yourself, hear the broadcast . . . lookout, the lookouts that were broadcast that day? A. Yes.    Q. What was the broadcastwhat was the description of the lookout given for Mr. Ellis? A. I don't recall. Q. Did you yourself hear it? A. Yes, I heard it. Q. And who was the person giving the lookout? A. The person giving the lookout, I believe, was Officer Commodore. Q. But you're not sure? A. No. He was the one that bought the drugs, so he would have to give the lookout. Subsequently, the judge returned to the subject of the lookout: The Court: Can I just ask you, sir, you testified earlier that you believed Officer Commodore was the one who gave the lookout but that's not something that you personally recall at this time? The Witness: Right. But it's either The Court: Can IThat's what I want to know. You don't, at this time, recall whether it was Commodore or some other person? The Witness: Or the Eyes,[ [7] ] right. [Defense counsel]: AndBut do you recall hearing three different lookouts, three different descriptions? A. Yes. Q. You do? A. I do recall the lookout was for three different males, yes. I remember two was in the building. That was the first lookout. And then the one subject on Georgia Avenue. Ellis was stopped based on the description broadcast in the lookout. According to Officer Wilson, the stop took place approximately one blockmaybe a block-and-a-half away, and about two and half minutes after the lookout for Ellis was transmitted. Officer Wilson indicated that. Ellis was stopped after the two other suspects had been detained at 620 Morton Street. Officer Wilson did not participate in the stop of appellant Ellis. It was Officer Wilson's understanding that Ellis was detained by members of the arrest team, who told him to stand at the corner of, I believe it was Georgia [Avenue] and MortonGeorgia and Morton Street or it may have been Georgia and Park Road. Officer Commodore then rode by in an unmarked police vehicle, and according to Wilson, Commodore positively identified Ellis as the facilitator of the drug sale. Officer Wilson believed that Ellis was identified approximatelyprobably five to six minutes after the heroin was sold, but he based his belief on the police reports, and not on his own recollection. Officer Wilson did not recall what Ellis was wearing when he was stopped, and no description of Ellis was provided in any of Wilson's testimony.