Court Opinion

ID: 9543915
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:50:25.50445+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:11:28.049901
License: Public Domain

N. J. Kaufman, J.
(dissenting). I must respectfully dissent from that portion of the majority opinion dealing with mug shots. While defense counsel was questioning the investigating officer assigned to this case, Sergeant Hazenfratz, the following colloquy occurred:
"Q Did you ever show pictures of the defendant to anyone?
"A Mug shots.
"Q Who did you show pictures to?
"A Mrs. Curran.
"Q Anyone else?
"A Ah, her grand niece observed them on two occasions.
"Q Was there anyone that you showed any pictures to?
"A Not actual mug shots, I don’t believe.”
The majority opinion apparently concluded that the "improper testimony was [not] deliberately injected into the case by the prosecutor”. In a narrow sense, that is correct; the question was asked by defense counsel. But it strains credulity for the reasons set forth below to suggest that the exchange quoted above should be excused as inadvertent.
First, the improper testimony was offered by a prosecution witness. Although that fact alone is not enough to prove "deliberateness”, where the witness is a law enforcement official, especially a police sergeant, it is not too much to suggest that those witnesses should know what legal subjects should not be adverted to during a trial. Certainly, it would not be too much to expect that the prosecutor would caution his witnesses not to refer *352to mug shots or other inadmissible areas of potential testimony such as polygraphs or whether or not defendant exercised his right to silence upon arrest.
Second, defense counsel studiously avoided using the term "mug shots”. In fact, his questions do not, in the least, suggest an answer of "mug shots”. The first question demanded a "yes” or "no” answer. The fourth question specifically demanded an answer in terms of a person’s name. The second reference to mug shots was definitely nonresponsive.
In People v Heller, 47 Mich App 408, 411; 209 NW2d 439 (1973), this Court noted:
"[T]hat where a defendant has not taken the stand, an unedited mug shot would impermissibly place the defendant’s prior conviction if any before the trier of fact and result in reversible prejudice.”
In this case, the verbal imagery was every bit as direct, and just as prejudicial. I would reverse defendant’s conviction and remand for a new trial.