Opinion ID: 1058506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Suggestive Photograph Array

Text: The defendant first asserts that the trial court erred in allowing a suggestive photograph array into evidence over objection. We disagree.
During the suppression hearing, the defendant presented the testimony of Charles Poole, who stated he was also arrested and charged with the murder of Green. Poole testified that after he was arrested, Sergeant Ashton questioned him and showed him a photograph array. Poole testified that when he did not identify anyone, Sergeant Ashton pointed toward the photograph of the defendant. Poole stated that although he did not identify anyone in the array, he believed the officer wanted him to identify the defendant's photograph. Upon viewing the photograph array, Poole stated the array depicted five dark-skinned African-Americans and one light skinned African-American. He stated the defendant, who was depicted in photograph six, was the person with the light skin tone. Sergeant William Ashton, the case coordinator, testified he prepared a photograph array and showed it to witnesses. He stated he arranged the array by using the defendant's photograph and other photographs of those who resembled the defendant. The officer then presented the array to various witnesses and asked them if they could identify anyone in the array. Sergeant Ashton testified he never suggested to witnesses whom they were to identify. Sergeant Ashton described the defendant's skin tone as light and opined that all of the men depicted in the photograph array had light skin tones. He stated he showed the array to Shaun Washington and Christopher James, both of whom identified the defendant's photograph.
In denying the defendant's motion to suppress the identifications and photograph array, the trial court found that Poole's credibility was about as narrow as it can get. The trial court then stated it examined the photograph array and described the array as six photographs of African-American males with either a shaved head or very, very short cropped hair and lighter skin tones. It found that the photograph array was not overly suggestive and that photograph six, which depicted the defendant, was not unique as compared to the other five photographs in the array. The trial court then concluded the photograph array was not suggestive, that the officer's actions were not suggestive, and the witnesses did not rely upon anything suggestive in making their identifications.
The findings of fact made by the trial court at the hearing on a motion to suppress are binding upon this court unless the evidence contained in the record preponderates against them. State v. Ross, 49 S.W.3d 833, 839 (Tenn.2001). Absent a showing by the defendant that the evidence preponderates against the judgment of the trial court, this court must defer to the ruling of the trial court. State v. Cribbs, 967 S.W.2d 773, 795 (Tenn.), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 932, 119 S.Ct. 343, 142 L.Ed.2d 283 (1998).
Convictions based on eyewitness identification at trial following a pre-trial photographic identification will be set aside only if the photographic identification was so impermissibly suggestive as to give rise to a very substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification. Simmons v. United States, 390 U.S. 377, 384, 88 S.Ct. 967, 19 L.Ed.2d 1247 (1968). However, a pre-trial confrontation procedure may be unlawful if, under the totality of the circumstances, the procedure is unnecessarily suggestive. Stovall v. Denno, 388 U.S. 293, 301-02, 87 S.Ct. 1967, 18 L.Ed.2d 1199 (1967). Although it may be suggestive, an identification may satisfy due process as reliable and admissible when considering the totality of the circumstances. See State v. Brown, 795 S.W.2d 689, 694 (Tenn.Crim. App.1990). This court must consider five factors in determining whether the in-court identification is reliable enough to withstand a due process attack despite the suggestiveness of the pre-trial identification. Neil v. Biggers, 409 U.S. 188, 199, 93 S.Ct. 375, 34 L.Ed.2d 401 (1972); State v. Strickland, 885 S.W.2d 85, 88 (Tenn. Crim.App.1993). These factors are: (1) the opportunity of the witness to view the criminal at the time of the crime; (2) the witness's degree of attention; (3) the accuracy of the witness's prior description of the criminal; (4) the level of certainty demonstrated by the witness at the confrontation; and (5) the time between the crime and the confrontation. Strickland, 885 S.W.2d at 88 (citing Biggers, 409 U.S. at 199, 93 S.Ct. 375). Based upon our review of the photograph array, we conclude that the evidence does not preponderate against the findings of the trial court. Although the complexion of the defendant is somewhat lighter than the complexions of other persons in the array, it was not impermissibly suggestive. This issue is without merit.