Court Opinion

ID: 9860632
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 23:28:15.437793+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:26:16.175017
License: Public Domain

McNAMARA, P. J., dissenting: I cannot agree with the majority’s conclusion that the testimony concerning the pretrial identification of defendant was admissible in evidence. The in-court identification of defendant by Ingersoll based upon an independent origin was properly introduced into evidence. However, where the pretrial confrontation was tainted, the prosecution may not under any circumstances introduce in-court testimony concerning that pretrial identification. (United States v. Wade (1967), 388 U.S. 218; Gilbert v. California (1967), 388 U.S. 263. Testimony about the pretrial identification “is the direct result of the illegal lineup ‘come at by exploitation of [the primary] illegality’ ”. Gilbert v. California, supra. It seems clear that the pretrial identification procedure in the instant case was conducted in a suggestive manner and in violation of the defendant’s rights under the sixth amendment. Some two years after the crimes in question, a police officer visited the victim at his home and showed him a single photograph, that of defendant. Before it was shown to the victim, the photograph had been altered by a police artist who had drawn a hat on the photo to reflect the type of headgear worn by the assailant. The victim then identified defendant from the photograph, and a few hours later identified him at a police station lineup. I believe that the photographic identification procedure used was impermissively suggestive and tainted the entire pretrial confrontation. This is especially true when it is remembered that the police department had in its possession an undoctored photograph of defendant taken shortly after the crime. Indeed, that photograph of defendant was taken by a police officer for the purpose of viewing by the victim; however the failure to show it to Ingersoll was never explained. That unaltered photograph, taken at a time when defendant voluntarily went to the police station, could well have been shown to the victim along with photographs of other suspects. Thus it was error to permit the victim and the police officer, over defendant’s objection, to testify concerning the lineup identification. The error was compounded when the officer was also permitted to testify that defendant appeared upset at the lineup, and when both witnesses were allowed to testify that defendant started bouncing on his feet in concern upon seeing the victim at the lineup. In a case so close, where one of the eyewitnesses was unable to identify defendant at trial and in view of the fact that two years had elapsed between the occurrence of the crimes and identification of defendant, I believe that the testimony of the victim and the police officer concerning the lineup constituted prejudicial error. I, therefore, would reverse the judgment of conviction and remand the cause for a new trial.