Opinion ID: 287544
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Issues Raised by Baker

Text: 22 Baker challenges the validity of his kidnaping conviction on two grounds. The first is a somewhat bizarre claim of double jeopardy arising from the following circumstances. At the close of the government's case, the trial court granted a motion for a judgment of acquittal as to the kidnaping count of the indictment. Upon reconsideration, the court shortly thereafter reinstated the Baker kidnaping count. Both the initial decision and its recall occurred out of the hearing of the jury. We must confess that we have difficulty in perceiving any connection between a defendant's constitutional right not to be placed twice in jeopardy and the events we have recited. Even those cases which define the scope of double jeopardy most broadly offer no support for Baker's argument. See, e.g., Downum v. United States, 372 U.S. 734, 83 S.Ct. 1033, 10 L.Ed.2d 100 (1963); Fong Foo v. United States, 369 U.S. 141, 82 S.Ct. 671, 7 L.Ed.2d 629 (1962). In the case before us, no final judgment of acquittal was ever entered, and certainly Baker was not subjected to the harassment of successive prosecutions. Nor did the prosecution seek a delay in order to obtain a more favorable opportunity to convict. The only prejudice Baker suffered is psychological; his hopes were first raised, then quickly lowered. But so ephemeral and insubstantial an injury is not proscribed by the Constitution. 23 Baker also contends that, since his crime was essentially robbery, the kidnaping count merged with the other offenses and therefore cannot support a separate conviction. This argument has no support in any federal court decision or in the language of the Federal Kidnaping Act, 18 U.S.C. 1201, which required only that the victim be transported in interstate commerce and 'held for ransom or reward or otherwise.' That the ultimate purpose sought to be furthered by a kidnaping is theft in no way precludes conviction under the Act. United States v. Healy, 376 U.S. 75, 84 S.Ct. 553, 11 L.Ed.2d 527 (1964).
24 At trial, Medina, the driver of the stolen truck, identified Baker as one of the men who had taken part in the hijacking. Baker bases the first of his two challenges to this identification on the ground that previous photographic identifications had distorted Medina's judgment. The government does not dispute that prior to trial, Medina had twice viewed photographs of Baker. The first identification took place in January, 1967, four months after the hijacking and before Baker's arrest. On that occasion, FBI agents showed Medina, one at a time, a series of fifteen pictures which included one photograph of Baker. In January, 1969, ten days before trial, Assistant United States Attorneys conducted a second identification session, at which Medina was shown a group of eleven photographs, including two of Baker. On both occasions Medina tentatively identified Baker as the gunman in the hijacking, though he cautioned both the government agents and attorneys that he found it difficult to distinguish one Negro from another and could not make a definite identification until he saw Baker in person. 25 We do not believe the these photographic identifications were '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, 971, 19 L.Ed.2d 1247 (1968); see United States v. Bennett, 409 F.2d 888, 898 (2d Cir.1969) (series of only six photographs found not to give rise to likely misidentification). As a result of the searching cross-examination of Medina conducted by defense counsel, the jury was fully aware of the existence and nature of the previous photographic identifications and was able to give them due consideration in judging Medina's credibility. That two pictures of Baker were shown to Medina at the second photographic identification does not, in itself, constitute impermissible suggestion. United States v. Butler, 405 F.2d 395 (4th Cir.1968). It is of some interest that in Simmons the group of photographs examined by the witnesses contained six pictures of one defendant. Furthermore, Medina's identification testimony had a sound basis in personal observation; he had observed Baker at close range throughout the drive from Manhattan to Jersey City. Finally, Medina's inability to make a definite identification of Baker as a result of viewing the photographs suggests both that the techniques employed by the government were not overly suggestive and that no likelihood of irreparable misidentification had been created. 26 Baker urges in the alternative that even if Medina's judgment had not been clouded by his previous exposure to photographs of Baker, the circumstances surrounding his identification of Baker in open court were so unfair as to constitute grounds for reversal. Specifically, with the exception of two jurors, Baker was the only Negro in the courtroom when Medina, who admittedly had difficulty in distinguishing one Negro from another made his identification. Viewing this confrontation in the setting in which it arose, we find no violation of due process. Since Baker's counsel was present in the courtroom when Medina identified his client, he was able to expose the weak points in the identification procedures on cross-examination by eliciting the statement from Medina that he 'had trouble identifying Negroes,' and emphasizing that no other Negroes were present in the courtroom. Cf. United States v. Wade, 388 U.S. 218, 87 S.Ct. 1926, 18 L.Ed.2d 1149 (1967); Gilbert v. California, 388 U.S. 263, 87 S.Ct. 1951, 18 L.Ed.2d 1178 (1967). 27 Moreover, that Baker was the only Negro present was not primarily the fault of the court or the prosecution, but rather the result of a decision by Baker's experienced and able counsel. On the day before the trial commenced the Assistant United States Attorney who was to prosecute the case informed Baker's counsel that a line-up scheduled for that day had been cancelled but that Medina would be asked to identify Baker in open court. When the district judge learned of this conversation before the jury entered the courtroom on the first morning of the trial, he asked counsel whether he had 'done anything about bringing in any other persons into the courtroom.' Counsel conceded that he had not done so. The only explanation he offered for his failure to act was to state that 'line-ups are a traditional police function' and that he knew of no 'facility (he) could have under the Criminal Justice Act to dragoon people into this courtroom.' He had apparently not considered the applicability of 18 U.S.C. 3006A(e), the section of the Criminal Justice Act which authorizes counsel to obtain 'investigative, expert or other services necessary to an adequate defense.' 28 Shortly thereafter, the court assured counsel that he could still obtain the type of identification procedure he desired. 'It seems to me,' the judge stated, 'that you are entitled to exercise a little ingenuity on your own behalf.' 'The only thing that I can see that might be done here,' he continued, 'is we will have the defendants sit among the audience at any place they choose to sit for the purposes of the trial.' Counsel spurned these helpful suggestions. Although Medina was not to give his identification testimony until the afternoon session, during the luncheon recess counsel made no attempt to enlist the aid of the court, the marshals, or anyone else in assembling other Negroes to be seated in whichever parts of the courtroom he designated; nor, did he ever request an adjournment for a period sufficient to permit assembling individuals for the type of line-up he considered appropriate. In sum, counsel showed very little willingness to assist in creating the type of atmosphere he professed to consider necessary to a fair identification. It may be that his primary aim was to make a record for appeal; in any case, counsel made no genuine effort to achieve what he now claims was his objective. 29 Several additional factors fortify our conclusion that counsel's failure to respond to the court's invitation does not require reversal. First, since Medina had viewed Baker over a considerable period of time during the hijacking, his identification was grounded on extended personal observation. Second, any assumption on the part of defense counsel that Medina would have identifed any Negro sitting alone in the courtroom as the gunman is belied by the witness' frank confession of inability to identify a gun shown him by the prosecutor as the weapon Baker used in the hijacking. Finally, since Warren also identified Baker as a participant in the hijacking. Medina's identification testimony was only cumulative. 30 We have carefully considered the other points raised by the three appellants and conclude that they are without merit. 31 Affirmed.