Opinion ID: 1119821
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Admission of Lineup and In-court Identification Evidence.

Text: (5) Defendant contends that the court erred in denying his pretrial motion to suppress evidence of the identification made by Connie Hernandez and her daughters at a lineup. Defendant had argued for suppression on the ground that the lineup was unduly suggestive because his inability to speak English made him stand out. The court viewed a videotape of the lineup and heard testimony from defendant and a court interpreter. Defendant testified that he understood none of the directions given in English and only some of the directions that were given in Spanish. He simply followed the example of the other participants. The interpreter said that some of the Spanish words used were unusual and characterized the person conducting the lineup as a very poor communicator in Spanish. In denying the motion, the court observed that defendant did appear a little confused when following the first few commands but that he thereafter appeared to follow the commands that were given. The court also noted that some of the lineup participants moved with the English instruction and others with the Spanish instruction even though all were told on several occasions not to move until the commands were made in both English and Spanish. The court further observed that all six participants were Hispanic males of medium height and slender build, but that their facial features were distinctive. In concluding that the lineup was not unnecessarily suggestive, the court expressly noted that it had taken into consideration the fact that Connie Hernandez believed the perpetrator did not speak English. The record supports the trial court's finding. We have reviewed the videotape of the lineup and concur with the trial court's assessment of it. Notwithstanding defendant's difficulty in understanding the directions, he did not stand out.