People v. Starks

309 N.W.2d 556, 107 Mich. App. 377
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 8, 1981
DocketDocket 46509
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 309 N.W.2d 556 (People v. Starks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Starks, 309 N.W.2d 556, 107 Mich. App. 377 (Mich. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

In this case defendant appeals as of right from his conviction by a jury of receiving or concealing stolen property over the value of $100, MCL 750.535; MSA 28.803.

Eugene Woods, the owner of a 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck, testified that on March 8, 1978, at about 5:40 a.m., he parked the vehicle in his employer’s parking lot. Approximately ten minutes later, he was informed that the truck was gone. After his own investigation confirmed that fact, he reported the disappearance to the police.

About 3:30 p.m. that same day, Highland Park police officers Edwin Ostrand and Tyrone Foster drove to 154 West Buena Vista in Highland Park after receiving a radio report of "auto strippers in a garage” at that location. Officer Ostrand proceeded to the garage itself on foot and observed three men working on a Chevrolet pickup truck. One person was removing the front bumper while the other two leaned into the engine compartment from the sides of the vehicle. When Ostrand iden *380 tified himself and ordered the subjects to freeze, they all ran. Officer Ostrand gave chase and radioed descriptions to other officers. An hour and a half later, Officer James Francisco observed defendant walk up to the Buena Vista address. Because defendant fit one of the radio descriptions, Francisco detained him until Officer Ostrand returned to the scene. Ostrand identified defendant as one of the persons seen stripping the truck. Eugene Woods verified that the truck was the same one reported missing earlier in the day.

Defendant initially argues that this identification procedure violated his constitutional right to counsel. He further contends that his defense attorney’s failure to object to Officer Ostrand’s identification testimony at trial evidences a denial of effective assistance of counsel.

Generally, once a suspect is in custody, there is a right to counsel during any corporeal identification procedure. People v Anderson, 389 Mich 155, 180-187; 205 NW2d 461 (1973), People v Jackson, 391 Mich 232, 337-340; 217 NW2d 22 (1974). An exception to this rule is that an on-the-scene identification necessary to determine whether a suspect should be formally arrested may take place without counsel. People v Dixon, 85 Mich App 271, 279-281; 271 NW2d 196 (1978), Russell v United States, 133 US App DC 77; 408 F2d 1280 (1969). Such identification is considered a reasonable police practice which helps expedite the release of innocent suspects. For this reason, the exception does not apply where the police clearly suspect that the person held committed the crime. Dixon, supra, 281.

The justification for an on-the-scene identification was met in this case. When defendant was detained, the police did not have more than a *381 mere suspicion that he was involved with the crime. The description broadcast was a general one, indicating race, sex, height, and clothing of the suspect, and could have fit numerous persons within the area. The officers at the scene had good reason to call Officer Ostrand back to the location to observe defendant. Although the identification was not literally within minutes of the offense, it did occur relatively soon afterwards.

Further, the danger of misidentification was less in this case than in other on-the-scene situations. Generally, when a victim or civilian witness views a suspect at the scene, the suspect is handcuffed and surrounded by police. This may create a somewhat prejudicial atmosphere in that the suspect looks like an offender. Here, the identification was made by another police officer, who would be less prone to allow such circumstances to detract from his observation skills. We are convinced that the on-the-scene identification of defendant was proper despite the absence of counsel.

In any event, defendant was not prejudiced since it was certain that Officer Ostrand had a basis for his trial identification of defendant independent of the on-the-scene procedure. People v Kachar, 400 Mich 78; 252 NW2d 807 (1977). Those factors relevant to the existence of such an independent basis are:

"1. Prior relationship with or knowledge of the defendant.
"2. The opportunity to observe the offense. This includes such factors as length of time of the observation, lighting, noise or other factor affecting sensory perception and proximity to the alleged criminal act.
"3. Length of time between the offense and the disputed identification * * *.
*382 "4. Accuracy or discrepancies in the pre-lineup or showup description and defendant’s actual description.
"5. Any previous proper identification or failure to identify the defendant.
"6. Any identification prior to lineup or showup of another person as defendant.
"7. Still another consideration, not mentioned in [United States v Wade, 388 US 218; 87 S Ct 1926; 18 L Ed 2d 1149 (1967)], but essential to a determination of judging the reliability of the witness’s perceptions is the nature of the alleged offense and the physical and psychological state of the victim. 'In critical situations perception will become distorted and any strong emotion (as opposed to mildly emotional experiences) will affect not only what and how much we perceive, but also will affect our memory of what occurred.’ 389 Mich 211. (Emphasis in original.)
"Factors such as fatigue, nervous exhaustion, alcohol and drugs’, 389 Mich 213 (emphasis in original), and age and intelligence of the witness are obviously relevant. Levine and Tapp, The Psychology of Criminal Identiñcation: The Gap from Wade to Kirby, 121 U Pa L Rev 1079, 1102-1103 (1973).
"8. Any idiosyncratic or special features of defendant.” Id., 95-96.

Here, while Officer Ostrand had no prior relationship with defendant, his opportunity to observe was sufficient. He stated that he viewed defendant for four or five seconds from a distance of from 15 to 20 feet before giving chase. It was daylight, and he was able to see defendant’s face. The on-the-scene identification took place within an hour and a half, and there was no evidence of dehabilitating factors such as fatigue, nervous exhaustion, alcohol, or drugs. Further, the officer, as a trained observer, was not likely to have been affected adversely by the stress inherent in the situation. Cf. United States v Butler, 405 F2d 395, 396 (CA 4, 1968). Finally, there was no evidence of *383 a previous failure to identify defendant or the erroneous identification of another person.

Because the identification of defendant was proper, counsel’s failure to move for suppression was not a decisive error evincing ineffective representation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
309 N.W.2d 556, 107 Mich. App. 377, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-starks-michctapp-1981.