Opinion ID: 2543636
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Suggestibility Of Circumstances Under Which Defendant Was Presented To The Witness For Identification

Text: ¶ 58 Concerning the suggestibility of the identification process, the trial court found that the photo array depicted six individuals with similar characteristics. Hollen disputes this conclusion, noting that Dr. Dodd opined that only three of the pictures matched the description of the disguised robber. However, Detective Dalling testified that to ensure Hollen did not stand out from anyone else, he had selected photographs where the age range, the shape of the chin, the shape of the head, the basic features of each one were similar. Under the circumstances, we conclude that the trial court did not clearly err when, after examining the photographs for itself, it resolved these conflicting opinions in the State's favor. We also note that Dalling told Contreras and Channing Jones, the two witnesses who participated in the photo array identification procedure, that the array may or may not include the disguised robber. Such a precaution further reduces concerns over suggestibility. ¶ 59 Significantly, even if we were to accept Dr. Dodd's opinion that the array presented only three meaningful choices, this case would still compare favorably to Ramirez, where the witness identified the defendant at a blatant[ly] suggestive[] show up: The identification took place on the street in the middle of the night. Ramirez, with dark complexion and long hair, was the only person at the show up who was not a police officer. He stood with his hands cuffed to a chain link fence behind his back. The headlights of several police cars were trained on him. The witnesses viewed him from the back seat of a police car. And while the remarks of the police officers prior to the show up were to the effect that they had apprehended someone who fit the description of one of the robbers may not of themselves be unnecessarily suggestive, they must be considered as part of the circumstances surrounding the identification. Id.