Court Opinion

ID: 9471540
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 03:35:12.290144+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:42:27.361894
License: Public Domain

*483NATHANIEL R. JONES, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
The conviction in this case arises from a rape allegedly committed by the appellant on the afternoon of July 12, 1979. The victim, a 15 year old girl, identified the appellant as her assailant on two separate occasions. The first occasion was when she picked the appellant’s photograph out of a display of about 150 to 200 photographs of white, male sex offenders on the afternoon after she had been attacked. The second occasion took place later that same afternoon when the petitioner was taken to the hospital where the victim was being treated. There was no other substantial evidence linking appellant with the crime. The circumstances surrounding the identification persuade me that the pretrial identification procedures utilized in this case were unnecessarily suggestive. They also created a substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification. Therefore, I respectfully dissent.
Due process requires that identification testimony be suppressed if the pretrial identification procedures were so impermissibly suggestive as to give rise to a “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). The applicable due process doctrine requires us to make a three-pronged analysis. First, we must consider whether the pretrial identification procedures were suggestive. If the identification procedures were suggestive, we must then consider whether they were necessary under the circumstances. If the procedures are found to be suggestive and unnecessary under the circumstances, we must then determine whether they produced a substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification. United States v. Russell, 532 F.2d 1063, 1067 (6th Cir.1976). Accord United States ex rel. Hudson v. Brierton, 699 F.2d 917 (7th Cir.1983).
There can be no serious question here that the show-up confrontation at the hospital was suggestive. Indeed, one-on-one confrontations between the victim of a crime and a suspect have been universally condemned for their inherent suggestiveness. See Stovall v. Denno, 388 U.S. 293, 302, 87 S.Ct. 1967, 1972, 18 L.Ed.2d 1199 (1967). For example, this Court in Summit v. Bordenkircher, 608 F.2d 247, 252 (6th Cir.1979), aff’d sub nom., Watkins v. Sowders, 449 U.S. 341, 101 S.Ct. 654, 66 L.Ed.2d 549 (1981), recognized that
[a] show-up is inherently suggestive. When only one person is presented to a witness, there is a natural tendency for the witness to feel obligated to provide a positive identification.
Similarly, the Seventh Circuit has also recognized that
[without question, almost any one-to-one confrontation between a victim of crime and a person to whom the police present to him as a suspect must convey the message that the police have reason to believe him guilty.
United States ex rel. Kirby v. Sturges, 510 F.2d 397, 403 (7th Cir.), cert. denied 421 U.S. 1016, 95 S.Ct. 2424, 44 L.Ed.2d 685 (1975). I do not read the majority opinion as holding that the show-up confrontation at the hospital was not suggestive.1 In *484fact, it would be difficult to imagine a more suggestive procedure than that utilized in this case.
Nor does it appear that the show-up was necessary under the facts of this case. In Stovall v. Denno, supra, a husband and wife were attacked in their home one night by an intruder. The attack left the husband dead and the wife near death in a hospital. The police arrested a suspect and, fearing that the wife, who was the only witness to the crime, would expire, brought him to the hospital where he was identified in a one-on-one confrontation. While noting that the practice of showing suspects singly to persons for purposes of identification rather than as part of a lineup had beén widely condemned, the Supreme Court nevertheless held that there was no due process violation because the exigencies of the situation demanded immediate action. Stovall, supra 388 U.S. at 302, 87 S.Ct. at 1972. Conversely, no such exigencies existed in the case before us. Although the witness was hospitalized, nothing in the record indicates that she was dying or near death. Nor is there any indication that the witness could not have visited the police station to view a lineup, or that a lineup could not have been arranged at the hospital. In short, nothing in the record before us justified the use of the show-up confrontation. Consequently, consideration of the first two prongs of the required analysis leads me to conclude that the pretrial confrontation procedures utilized in this case were unnecessarily suggestive. This conclusion, however, does not establish by itself that petitioner’s due process rights were violated. See Stovall, supra at 302, 87 S.Ct. at 1972. Such a violation is only established where the unnecessarily suggestive pretrial confrontation procedures have produced a “substantial likelihood of irreparable misidentification.” Simmons, supra 390 U.S. at 384, 88 S.Ct. at 971.
The Supreme Court has held that the admissibility of identification testimony stemming from suggestive confrontation procedures depends on whether the identification was reliable under the totality of the circumstances. Neil v. Biggers, 409 U.S. 188, 199, 93 S.Ct. 375, 382, 34 L.Ed.2d 401 (1972). See also Manson v. Brathwaite, 432 U.S. 98, 114, 97 S.Ct. 2243, 2253, 53 L.Ed.2d 140 (1977) (reliability is the “linchpin” in determining admissibility of identification testimony). The Court then stated that the following factors must be considered in determining the reliability of the identification:
1) the opportunity of the witness to view the criminal at the time of the crime;
2) the witness’ degree of attention;
3) the accuracy of the witness’ prior description of the criminal;
4) the level of certainty demonstrated by the witness at the confrontation; and
5) the length of time between the crime and the confrontation.
Neil v. Biggers, supra 409 U.S. at 199-200, 93 S.Ct. at 382-383.
I cannot accept the majority’s assessment of these factors. Perhaps the most troublesome statement in the majority opinion is its assertion that the witness’ “attention was focused upon her attacker during the assault.” I am unable to find any support for this statement in the record.2 In fact, the evidence directly contradicts this assertion. The witness’ own testimony established that she was unconscious during most of the assault. Indeed she testified that she was conscious for only a few seconds and that when conscious, she “wasn’t even looking at [her assailant] most of the time.” I cannot agree that it is fair to conclude on these facts that the witness’ attention was “focused” on her attacker.
*485Nor can I agree with the majority’s finding that the witness had a good opportunity to view her assailant. Although the record indicates that the witness noticed her assailant on her first trip through the park, there is nothing to indicate that she had any reason to pay any attention to his features. Furthermore, when she was attacked on her return trip through the park, her assailant approached her from behind. When she turned to confront him, she testified that he “moved around,” and that she faced him for no more than five to ten seconds. The state appellate court found that her assailant then “put his hand over her mouth, the other hand around her throat from the rear,” and dragged her into the woods, [emphasis added] Thus the evidence established that during the period in which her attention was drawn to her assailant before she lost consciousness, she faced him for only five to ten seconds while he was moving around. Thus I am unpersuaded that her opportunity to view her assailant was as good as the,majority declares.
With the exception of the time span between the crime and the confrontation, I am convinced that the remaining factors also militate against a finding that the witness’ identification was reliable. First, the witness gave a very general description of her assailant. One need only ponder for a moment over how many white males there are who are 30-35 years old with dark hair and a mustache before it becomes apparent that this description would fit a wide variety of people. There is, then, no wonder that the majority concluded that the appellant fit this description. The pool of such persons who could is wide indeed.
Second the witness’ identification of the appellant was anything but certain. She not only failed to identify him at the initial confrontation despite its inherent suggestiveness, she specifically said, “That’s not him.” Then when the appellant was brought back for a second confrontation, he was asked to simulate parts of the assault before the witness could identify him. There is every reason to believe that it was the act that the victim remembered, not the actor. Although the majority is willing to accept the witness’ explanation that her initial failure to identify the appellant as her assailant was because she was afraid that he would do harm to her, the evidence clearly indicates that she was indeed uncertain that the appellant was her attacker.3 Given the witness’ limited opportunity to observe her assailant, her strong initial reaction that the appellant was not her assailant, and the clear evidence of doubt from her own testimony, I am unable to conclude as the majority does, that the identification was sufficient to meet the Biggers standards.
In conclusion, it is important to remember that the witness was a frightened, fifteen year old girl who had just endured a traumatic, humiliating and frightening experience. Therefore, it would not be unusual under such circumstances for her perceptual abilities to be impaired. In United States v. Russell, supra, we admonished that
[t]here is a great potential for misidentification when a witness identifies a stran*486ger based solely upon a single brief observation, and this risk is increased when the observation was made at a time of stress or excitement. Since this danger is inherent in every identification of this kind, courts should be especially vigilant to make certain that there is no further distortion of the possibly incomplete or mistaken perception of a well-meaning witness by suggestive or other unfair investigatory techniques, [emphasis added]
532 F.2d at 1066. Since I believe that the majority opinion so seriously understates the potential for misidentification in this case, I respectfully dissent.

. The majority opinion concludes that even if the show-up was suggestive, there was an independent basis for the witness’ identification, that being the selection of appellant’s photograph. Although not challenged by the appellant, the photographic array also appears to have been tainted by undue suggestiveness. The witness selected two photographs from the array, one depicting a man with a mustache, while the other depicted the appellant without a mustache. The witness testified at the preliminary hearing that the men in the two photographs looked like her assailant, but that the one with the mustache was too skinny. The police then told her that this man was in jail whereupon the witness settled on appellant’s picture. This conduct was highly suggestive. In United States v. Russell, supra, a witness’ somewhat tentative identification of a suspect was confirmed by an F.B.I. agent who told her that the picture she had selected was “the guy we think probably did it.” Since this occurred after her selection of the picture we refused to find error in the trial court’s admission of the witness’ identification testimony. 532 F.2d at 1067-68. Here, however, the suggestive conduct occurred prior to the witness’ selection of appellant’s picture. Under such circumstances *484I cannot agree that this selection could serve as an independent basis for her identification.

. The majority holds that the state appellate court’s factual findings on the identification are entitled to a presumption of correctness under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d). This presumption does not attach, however, where it appears, inter alia, that the material facts were not adequately developed by the state court, or where the factual determination is not fairly supported by the record. 28 U.S.C. §§ 2254(d)(4), (8).

. At page 62 of the transcript of the suppression hearing, the following colloquy took place:
Q And did you identify this as the individual that attacked you? [sic]
A Yes.
Q Was there any occasion that you denied or told them that it wasn’t him?
A Well, I had a question because—
Q What question did you have?
A His hair, I guess it was his hair.
Q What was the question that you had about his hair?
A Well, I don’t know, I wasn’t sure. His hair wasn’t combed, I guess this guy, his hair was combed.
Q Okay. The guy that attacked you had his hair combed.
A Yes.
Q And this individual that they brought to the hospital, his hair was all messed up?
A I don’t know. He was different.
This testimony does not support a conclusion that the only reason the witness failed to identify the appellant as her attacker at the first confrontation was because she was afraid that he would harm her. Instead this testimony, taken as it was when the witness had no apparent fear of retaliation, reveals the existence of genuine doubt.