Opinion ID: 786346
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission of the Pretrial Identification.

Text: 77 We review the denial of a motion to suppress identification evidence for clear error. United States v. Hamilton, 684 F.2d 380, 383 (6th Cir.1982). The burden rests on Crockett to demonstrate that the pretrial identification procedure was impermissibly suggestive. United States v. Hill, 967 F.2d 226, 230 (6th Cir.1992). If Crockett can demonstrate that the police performed an unduly suggestive photographic lineup, then the trial court must determine, in light of all the circumstances, whether the unfair suggestiveness was conducive 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); Hill, 967 F.2d at 230. The Supreme Court has listed factors that a court should weigh in determining whether an identification is reliable, even though an unduly suggestive identification procedure may have been used. These factors are: 1) the witness's opportunity 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 at the confrontation; and 5) the time between the crime and the confrontation. Neil v. Biggers, 409 U.S. 188, 198-200, 93 S.Ct. 375, 34 L.Ed.2d 401 (1972) (stating that the likelihood of misidentification... violates a defendant's right to due process, not a suggestive line-up per se ). 78 Before ruling on the admissibility of this evidence, the district court in this case carefully considered the reliability of the identification. The judge noted that there was only one photograph, that the witness did not observe the offense, but was certainly familiar with the suspect, and that the photograph was of very good quality ... clearly portray[ing Crockett's] facial features, as well as all of the other characteristics of his physical anatomy. Although these observations are not necessarily helpful in evaluating all of the Biggers factors outlined above, they do properly address the question of reliability, the fundamental inquiry. 79 This was not a typical police photo spread in which a witness is asked identify an otherwise-unknown perpetrator based solely on observation at the time of the crime. In this instance, Mrs. Parks was being asked whether the bank surveillance picture in fact depicted someone she knew very well and would readily recognize. The Biggers factors are not particularly helpful in a case such as this, where the identification has been made by someone close to the suspect. Rather, we should be guided by cases in which identifications have been made by relatives or close friends. United States v. Saniti, 604 F.2d 603 (9th Cir.1979), held that two roommates of the accused could properly be permitted to identify the defendant as the person in a bank surveillance photo. See also United States v. Borrelli, 621 F.2d 1092 (10th Cir.1980) (holding that a trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting into evidence identification testimony of defendant's stepfather who recognized the defendant in a bank surveillance photo). 80 In this case, although Mrs. Parks was provided with only a single photograph, it was not presented in a suggestive manner. She was not asked is this your husband? The identification was not likely to have produced a misidentification, given Mrs. Parks's familiarity with the defendant at the time when the picture was taken. Furthermore, given her relationship to the defendant, she would be unlikely to be biased against him, and would have every reason not to identify Crockett to the authorities, if there was any doubt. The district court, therefore, did not commit clear error in denying Crockett's motion to suppress this pretrial identification. 81