People v. Douglas

123 Misc. 2d 75, 472 N.Y.S.2d 815, 1984 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2946
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 10, 1984
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 123 Misc. 2d 75 (People v. Douglas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Douglas, 123 Misc. 2d 75, 472 N.Y.S.2d 815, 1984 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2946 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Edward C. Alfano, J.

The defendant has been indicted for the crimes of attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, aggravated assault upon a peace officer, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and two counts of criminal use of a firearm in the first degree.

[76]*76The defendant moves for an order precluding the testimony of Police Officer Dominick Martino, who was hypnotized after the event in an effort to enhance his recollection. The defendant further moves to suppress all statements made by him in Florida to law enforcement personnel on the ground that, under case law, they were illegally obtained and were involuntary within the meaning of CPL 60.45.

A hearing on the defense motion was held before this court on March 22, 23, April 29, and May 10, 1983. The People called as witnesses Mr. Vivian Chembo, Detective Robert Gadson, Detective Ray Apo, Police Officer Dominick Martino, Police Officer Thomas Kennedy, Detective Milagro Markman and Detective Steve Sessler. The defendant called no witnesses.

FINDINGS OF FACT

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on October 8, 1981, Police Officers Kennedy and Martino were on radio motor patrol in the County of Kings. At the intersection of East 93rd Street and Rutland Road, they paused to investigate double parked cars in front of a suspected “smoke shop”. Officer Kennedy then observed the defendant exit the “smoke shop” counting money in his hand. Defendant looked up at Police Officer Kennedy and began to run. Defendant fled around a corner. When Police Officer Kennedy turned the corner the defendant, crouched between parked cars, fired five shots at Officer Kennedy, wounding him five times.

After Officer Kennedy was taken to Kings County Hospital, Police Officer Martino proceeded to the 67th Precinct, where he examined photographs and selected as the perpetrator a man who was not the defendant.

Mr. Vivian Chembo, an employee of a garage adjacent to the scene, heard the shots. Mr. Chembo went out and saw Officer Kennedy lying on the ground. He also saw defendant, whom he knew for over two years, walking away fast from the scene and looking back.

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on October 9, 1981, Officer Martino accompanied Detective Calabro to the hypnosis unit of the Special Investigation Section of the New York [77]*77City Police Department. Both officers were received by Detective Markman of the hypnosis unit. Detective Mark-man gave Officer Martino a pamphlet on hypnosis to read while she spoke privately to Detective Calabro. Detective Calabro furnished Detective Markman with skeletal facts concerning the case and Detective Calabro expressed the hope that submitting Officer Martino to hypnosis would result in an enhanced recall of the perpetrator and vehicles involved in the shooting.

Officer Martino was then led by Detective Markman into a 10-foot square studio containing a reclining chair, a one-way mirror and a reel-to-reel audio tape recorder. Detective Markman and Officer Martino were alone in the studio. Detective Markman then executed the following four-stage procedure: Firstly, Detective Markman explained hypnosis in general and the induction technique in particular. Secondly, she had Officer Martino make a prehypnotic audio-recorded statement of the event. Thirdly, she applied a relaxation technique, induced hypnosis and questioned him. The questions and answers were taped on the audio tape recorder. Officer Martino’s eyes were closed during this session and at one point, Detective Markman touched Officer Martino’s wrist lightly. Fourthly, Detective Markman brought Officer Martino out of the hypnotic state and reviewed the statements with him. There were only insignificant differences between Officer Martino’s prehypnotic and hypnotically enhanced statements.

The next day, October 10, 1981, Officer Martino was shown 10-12 photographs. He selected the photograph of the defendant and identified him as the perpetrator.

A warrant for the arrest of the defendant was issued and forwarded to the Police Department in Dade County, Florida, where Detective Sessler took charge of the case.

On February 5, 1982, Detective Sessler received information to the effect that the defendant was residing at 184-10 N.W. 21st Avenue, Miami, whereupon Detective Sessler, together with Sergeant Rivers, also of the Dade County Police and several FBI agents, proceeded to that location.

[78]*78The police entered said premises and found the defendant hiding in an attic. The defendant was taken into custody at which time Detective Sessler read the Miranda warnings in full to the defendant. The defendant indicated that he understood these rights but did not wish an attorney. Defendant was then questioned about the shooting and defendant stated, “I shot the officer because I was scared”.

The defendant was immediately placed in a police vehicle, together with Detective Sessler and Sergeant Rivers, and taken to police headquarters. En route, the defendant, without being questioned, initiated a discussion and inquired whether the New York Police would come to Miami. Detective Sessler said he suspected so and then the defendant said, “I have been down on weapons before and I shot the officer five times. I didn’t want to go to jail. I came to Miami in late October.”

The defendant was thereafter incarcerated and extradited to New York.

hypnosis/pee-hughes

Beginning with the early case of People v Ebanks (117 Cal 652), the courts have generally placed hypnotically induced recollection in the same category as the statements made after administering truth serum and statements made during polygraph tests. As a result, the courts have refused to allow testimony of such recollection into evidence.

An additional controversy with respect to the admissibility of hypnotically induced testimony centered upon the applicability of the “Frye rule”. That rule, first stated in Frye v United States (293 F 1013), provides that evidence of a scientific nature will be admitted at trial only if the procedure used is generally accepted in the scientific community.

Another aspect of the hypnosis controversy has arisen in recent cases, including the case at bar, in which hypnosis has been utilized to refresh or restore the memory of a witness who has been traumatized. The evidence offered in these cases is the witness’ present recollection which has been “refreshed” by a pretrial hypnotic session. Jurisdictions other than New York have accepted the hypnosis [79]*79procedure as another method of refreshing recollection. The Court of Appeals of Maryland held that the use of this procedure affected only the weight of the evidence and not its admissibility (Harding v State, 5 Md App 230, cert den 395 US 949). However, the same court thereafter reversed itself after its adoption of the Frye rule (Polk v State, 48 Md App 382).

Although the original concepts of Harding (supra) are still followed in a majority of jurisdictions despite the reversal, many courts considering the problem for the first time are applying the Frye test with varying results.

New Jersey’s highest court has attempted to minimize the risk of suggestibility by imposing minimum guidelines (State v Hurd, 86 NJ 525).

The Hurd

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Commonwealth v. Fitzpatrick
24 Mass. L. Rptr. 126 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 2008)
Commonwealth v. Sepulveda
16 Mass. L. Rptr. 231 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 2003)
Commonwealth v. Miller
15 Mass. L. Rptr. 11 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 2002)
People v. Crawford
152 Misc. 2d 763 (New York Supreme Court, 1991)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
123 Misc. 2d 75, 472 N.Y.S.2d 815, 1984 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2946, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-douglas-nysupct-1984.