People v. Robinson

194 N.W.2d 537, 37 Mich. App. 115

• Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
• Decided: January 26, 1972
• Docket: Docket 10481
• Status: Published

Opinions

R. B. Burns, J.

Defendant was convicted of unarmed robbery. MCLA § 750.530 (Stat Ann 1954 Rev § 28.798). On appeal he claims that the trial judge erred by not dismissing the case as his arrest was illegal, and that it was reversible error not to suppress from evidence a cigarette lighter.

The complainant, Jessie Tate, testified that the defendant grabbed him by the arm and forced him into a hallway of an apartment building. The defendant then proceeded to take everything out of his pockets, including $73.90, a pocket knife, and a lighter with the initials “J T” on it.

John E. W. Jones testified that on or about the same day the defendant asked him if he could use a color TV set, and offered to sell him one for $125. Jones paid the defendant $40, and when the defendant and his partner left him he became suspicious and followed them. The two men ran away. Two weeks later Jones saw the defendant, went to his truck, secured a rifle, confronted the defendant, and forced him to walk to the police station. At the police station the police arrested the defendant on Jones’s complaint.

During an inventory of defendant’s possessions the police officer discovered a lighter with the initials “J T”. The complainant was called and identified the defendant in a lineup and the defendant was charged in the present case.

At the close of the people’s case the defendant moved to dismiss the case because of the illegal arrest and to suppress the lighter from evidence because of unlawful search and seizure. Both motions were denied.

Defendant is correct that neither of the arrests were valid. MCLA § 764.16 (Stat Ann 1954 Rev § 28.875) provides:

“A private person may make an arrest—

“(a) For a felony committed in his presence;

“(b) When the person to be arrested has committed a felony although not in his presence;

“(c) When summoned by any peace officer to assist said officer in making an arrest.”

Jones did not have the authority to arrest the defendant. Larceny by conversion under $100 is a misdemeanor. MCLA § 750.362 (Stat Ann 1954 Rev § 28.594).

The police officer arrested the defendant on the strength of Jones’s verbal complaint. A police officer does not have the authority to arrest a person without a warrant for a misdemeanor not committed in his presence. MCLA § 764.15 (Stat Ann 1954 Rev § 28.874).

An illegal arrest does not make all subsequent proceedings void. When a defendant has been arrested without a warrant or illegally, that fact cannot be considered at trial where it appears the arrest was followed by a complaint and warrant on which the defendant was held for trial, or, where the defendant was regularly bound over to the circuit court for trial. Even though a defendant is illegally arrested, he cannot say that he should not be tried at all. People v. Miller (1926), 235 Mich 340; People v. Nawrocki (1967), 6 Mich App 46.

Defendant did not move to suppress the lighter from evidence prior to trial, nor did he object to the introduction of the lighter in evidence. He waited until the people had presented their case and closed their proofs before he moved to suppress the lighter from evidence.

MCLA § 769.26 (Stat Ann 1954 Rev § 28.1096) provides that no verdict shall be set aside, reversed, ór a new trial granted on grounds of improper admission of evidence unless in the opinion of the court it shall affirmatively appear that the error complained of has resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

In this case there was no miscarriage of justice.

Affirmed.

J. H. Gillis, J., concurred.