Opinion ID: 2287985
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to give Miranda warning

Text: The investigating officer admitted that, at the time of the pre-trial lineup identification, he had information from the Sanford Police that the defendant had an abrasion on the back of his left wrist and that his interest in viewing the four persons in the lineup was to verify the defendant's alleged bruise which would support the victim's description of the robber's escape to the effect that the door had slammed upon the felon's left wrist when Mr. Gallant had thrown his body against the door. The officer was permitted to testify at trial, over the defendant's objection, respecting his observation of the defendant's left wrist bruise made at the pre-trial lineup. Failure to give the Miranda warning to the defendant prior to the officer's viewing of Mr. Emery's left wrist at the pretrial lineup did not constitute a violation of Fifth Amendment rights against compulsory self-incrimination. A defendant may be compelled to display identifiable physical characteristics, such as in the instant case to expose his bruised wrist, and such investigative procedures for evidentiary identification purposes infringe no interest protected by the privilege against compulsory self-incrimination. Compelled use of an accused's body as real or physical evidence when material is outside the protection of the Fifth Amendment the scope of which relates only to testimonial or communicative acts on the part of the person to whom the privilege applies. Schmerber v. State of California, 1966, 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908; Warden, Maryland Penitentiary v. Hayden, 1967, 387 U.S. 294, 87 S.Ct. 1642, 18 L.Ed. 2d 782; United States v. Dionisio, 1973, 410 U.S. 1, 93 S.Ct. 764, 35 L.Ed.2d 67; State v. Poulin, 1970, Me., 268 A.2d 475; State v. Stevens, 1969, Me., 252 A.2d 58. The defendant has raised other points of alleged error which we have considered. We have read the record with care and find no reversible error. The trial was fair and the conviction resulted from the judgment of the jury who were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty as charged. The entry will be Appeal denied.