People v. Coates

137 A.D.2d 192, 528 N.Y.S.2d 545, 1988 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5498
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedMay 24, 1988
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 137 A.D.2d 192 (People v. Coates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Coates, 137 A.D.2d 192, 528 N.Y.S.2d 545, 1988 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5498 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Ross, J.

This appeal presents us with an issue of whether, when an accused is removed, pursuant to a court order, from his place of incarceration to a station house to appear in a lineup concerning a specific case, the right to counsel continues to attach, if thereafter, upon the basis of the same court order, he is exhibited in another lineup concerning an unrelated case, in which he has not as yet been charged. We are informed that this is an appellate issue of first impression.

On July 22, 1983, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Ms. Carmen Lopez (Ms. Lopez), Ms. Rita Rodriguez (Ms. Rodriguez), Ms. Constanza Figueroa (Ms. Figueroa), who was Ms. Rodriguez’ aunt, and four small children, who were related to Ms. Rodriguez and Ms. Figueroa, all entered an elevator of an apartment building, located at 700 West 176th Street, in New York County.

As the elevator doors were closing, a young male (perpetrator), who was armed with a gun, stuck his foot inside, and held the doors open. Thereafter, this perpetrator pointed his gun at the three women, demanded their money, and informed them, if they refused to comply, he would kill the children. In response, Ms. Lopez opened her purse to indicate she had no money, and Ms. Figueroa placed her wallet into a small bag, which the perpetrator was holding. While Ms. Rodriguez tried to give her money to the perpetrator, who was standing approximately three feet away, he leveled the gun at Ms. Figueroa, and, at point blank range, shot her in the stomach.

[194]*194After shooting Ms. Figueroa, the perpetrator sought to leave the building. At that time, Mr. Antonio Germosen (Mr. Germosen) was entering the building. Mr. Germosen testified that, since fluorescent lights illuminated the interior of the building, he saw the face of the perpetrator, who was running towards him. Furthermore, Mr. Germosen testified that, as the perpetrator passed him, the perpetrator looked straight at him. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Germosen became aware that Ms. Figueroa had been shot in the robbery, and, when Mr. Germosen tried to pursue the perpetrator, he shot at and missed Mr. Germosen.

In the street, Ms. Carmen and Ms. Haidee Martinez, who are sisters, heard the gunfire. While Ms. Carmen Martinez was sitting on the hood of a car in front of the building, Ms. Haidee Martinez was halfway down the block, returning to the subject building, after using a public telephone.

Ms. Carmen Martinez testified the street was bright with light, which came from a street lamp and the building.

Moments after hearing the sound of gunfire, Ms. Carmen Martinez testified she saw the profile of the perpetrator, as he ran from the building towards Broadway, followed by Mr. Germosen, and Ms. Figueroa, who was exclaiming that she had been mugged and was hurt. As soon as she heard Ms. Figueroa’s statement, Ms. Carmen Martinez testified she shouted to Ms. Haidee Martinez that the perpetrator had mugged and shot Ms. Figueroa, and to call the police.

Ms. Haidee Martinez testified, in pertinent part, that, as the perpetrator proceeded towards Broadway, he ran past her, and she saw his whole face, from a distance of about three feet.

When the perpetrator reached Broadway, he turned the corner, and fled downtown.

As a result of her wound, Ms. Figueroa died the following day, July 23, 1983, in Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

New York City Police Officer John McCormick (Officer McCormick), a 13-year veteran of the force, on July 23, 1983, was assigned to investigate the robbery and murder of Ms. Figueroa.

Between that date and August 30, 1983, when a station house lineup involving the defendant took place, Officer McCormick attempted to identify the perpetrator of the crime, who witnesses had described as being a black male in his 20’s, 5-foot, 7-inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with very short [195]*195hair, dressed entirely in black, including a black windbreaker, and wearing silver sunglasses.

Thereafter, on July 25, 1983, a police artist prepared a composite sketch, which the witnesses agreed resembled the perpetrator. However, none of the witnesses were able to identify the defendant from the photographs, which they viewed at the Police Artist’s Modus Operand! Unit, or which they viewed at the 30th and 34th Police Precincts, or which they viewed at the Catch Unit, located at the 20th Police Precinct.

Subsequently, Officer McCormick spoke with New York City Police Detective Lehan (Detective Lehan), of the robbery team task force, and Detective Lehan indicated he had a suspect, who was involved in a similar robbery/homicide case. After viewing the composite sketch of the perpetrator in the Ms. Figueroa homicide, Detective Lehan informed Officer McCormick that it looked like the defendant.

Based upon Detective Lehan’s possible identification, Officer McCormick prepared a photograph array folder of six individuals, including defendant, which he exhibited to witnesses. On July 27, 1983, witnesses Ms. Lopez and Mr. Germosen viewed the array separately, and, although they tentatively identified defendant as the perpetrator, they were unable to positively identify him. Since Officer McCormick had not obtained a positive identification, he decided it was not appropriate to either arrest or place defendant in a lineup at that time.

Subsequently, Officer McCormick testified that, on or about August 3, 1983, he learned defendant was incarcerated, represented by counsel, and, that Detective Lehan intended to have defendant brought, on August 30, 1983, from Rikers Island, pursuant to court order, to the 34th Police Precinct, for the purpose of being viewed in a lineup concerning an unrelated case. As soon as Officer McCormick heard about the August 30th lineup, he testified "he [Officer McCormick] said, *[w]ell, I will also have my witnesses * * * view that line up’ ”.

On August 30, 1983, the witnesses in the unrelated case viewed the defendant in the lineup arranged by Detective Lehan. The defendant had been brought to that lineup by court order.

When defendant became aware that he was going to be retained at the station house in order to be viewed by a different set of witnesses concerning Officer McCormick’s homicide case, defendant requested of Officer McCormick that [196]*196his lawyer be notified to be present, but Officer McCormick took no action to satisfy defendant’s request.

Over the course of approximately the next 12 hours, Officer McCormick, without obtaining another court order, conducted two lineups for five witnesses in the Ms. Figueroa homicide. These witnesses were Mr. Germosen, Ms. Lopez, Ms. Carmen Martinez, Ms. Haidee Martinez and Ms. Rodriguez.

Different stand-ins were used in each of Officer McCormick’s lineups.

As a result of those lineups only Ms. Haidee Martinez and Ms. Rodriguez unequivocally selected the defendant as the perpetrator of the crimes that led to Ms. Figueroa’s death.

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Bluebook (online)
137 A.D.2d 192, 528 N.Y.S.2d 545, 1988 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5498, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-coates-nyappdiv-1988.