Court Opinion

ID: 9453188
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:05:52.964948+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:33.221180
License: Public Domain

*193BAZELON, Chief Judge
(concurring) :
If the victim’s identification is “based on adequate opportunity to observe,” perhaps no further corroboration is required. But here there is no evidence corroborating the victim’s testimony that there was such an opportunity. See Walker v. United States, 96 U.S.App.D.C. 148, 156, 223 F.2d 613, 621 (1955) (dissenting opinion). I would, therefore, rest affirmance on a matter which appears in the record but was not discussed by the parties on this appeal.
During the first full day of trial, the victim testified that while her attacker was detaining her on the street, she sought assistance from passers-by, none of whom would stop. She identified one of those who passed as a neighbor who might have recognized her. There is no indication in the record that she ever mentioned the neighbor prior to this testimony, either to the police or at a previous trial that had ended in a hung jury.1 At any rate, the Government immediately sought to have the witness brought forth; a subpoena was issued and served that evening on his son.
Next morning, the following occurred in open court, out of the presence of the jury:
The Court: What is the situation as to this witness?
The Prosecutor: We have not seen * * * [him]. He has not shown up to our knowledge, Your Honor.
Defense Counsel: Your Honor, I have given this some consideration overnight. If * * * [he] had been present this morning, I would have gone through with the identification and whatnot, but I will be willing to withdraw my desire for an instruction on a missing witness under the circumstances and will not argue the point to the jury.
The failure to produce a witness, named by the victim as one who might corroborate her identification, would tend to undermine the sufficiency of the Government’s case. But since defense counsel waived this failure, I think it appropriate to assume that he satisfied himself that the testimony of the missing witness would support the Government’s case.2
Viewing this circumstance in light of the record discussed in the court’s opinion, I agree that we should not disturb the conviction.

. Defense counsel had access to the police reports in the case and also represented appellant at the first trial.

. One ground on which a new trial was sought following the verdict was that the “defendant desires * * * to place before the court evidence * * * not presented * * * at trial.” There is no indication, however, that this evidence had to do with the missing witness.