People v. Williams

13 Misc. 3d 886
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in People v. Williams. Read the opinion of the Court — 14 Misc. 3d 571
New York Supreme Court·Decided September 20, 2006·Published

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Joel M. Goldberg, J.

[887]*887On July 10, 2006, a Wade hearing was held before me on the defendant’s motion to suppress identification testimony. Following the hearing, the defendant submitted a letter brief dated July 24, 2006, and the People submitted a similar letter brief dated August 1, 2006.

On August 9, 2006, following oral argument on the motion, the court rendered a decision from the bench granting the motion to suppress eyewitness testimony concerning the identification of the defendant at a lineup based on a violation of the defendant’s right to have counsel present at the lineup. In summary, the court found that, although the lineup and preceding photographic array were fairly conducted, the detective who conducted the lineup was aware that the defendant was represented by an attorney in the matter under investigation. Nevertheless, when the defendant surrendered himself at the precinct to participate in the lineup, the detective made no effort to obtain the attorney’s presence at the lineup. Although neither the detective nor the attorney were aware that the defendant had surrendered himself for the lineup against his attorney’s advice, the People argued that the defendant’s actions constituted a knowing waiver of his right to have counsel present even though there was no testimony demonstrating that the defendant knew he had a right to have an attorney present at the lineup.

This decision and order is intended to supplement this court’s earlier decision of August 9, 2006.

The Hearing — Findings of Fact

Two witnesses testified at the hearing, the detective and the defendant’s attorney at the time of the lineup. The court found both witnesses credible.

Detective Michael Paccione was assigned to investigate a homicide that occurred on June 22, 2005 as the result of a shooting on the street. In the course of his investigation, the detective became aware of an eyewitness who was referred to at the hearing as “witness number one” to keep the witness’s identification confidential. On September 21, 2005, following an investigation that led the detective to believe that the deceased may have participated in a May 30, 2005 incident involving a stolen car for which the defendant and an individual named Sheldon Emanuel had been previously arrested, the detective showed a series of photographs to the eyewitness who picked out the photograph of Sheldon Emanuel as the person who was driving a vehicle involved in the shooting.

[888]*888Emanuel had been arrested on May 30, 2005 for possession of a stolen car along with the defendant. The detective, suspecting that the defendant as well as Emanuel may have been involved in the shooting, then obtained a photograph of the defendant and, on October 3, 2005, showed the witness photographs of 15 individuals, including the defendant. The witness identified the defendant as the person seen holding a gun, running from the scene of the shooting.

On October 14, 2005, looking for the defendant, the detective went to the address on record for the defendant and found Emanuel, who the detective arrested for criminal facilitation for his purported role in the homicide. That arrest was subsequently voided. Knowing that Emanuel and the defendant had the stolen car case pending, the detective told Emanuel to tell the defendant to contact him. The detective made no further effort to find the defendant.

On October 24 or 25, 2005, the detective received a telephone call from Jeff Adler, Esq., the attorney who was representing the defendant in the stolen car case which at the time was pending in Supreme Court, Kings County. (On May 25, 2006, the indictment against the defendant in the stolen car case was dismissed on the People’s motion.) The detective told Adler that the defendant was a suspect in a homicide case and that the detective wanted to speak with the defendant and also wanted the defendant to stand in a lineup. Adler said he was representing the defendant in the matter under investigation and tentatively agreed to produce the defendant for a lineup on November 2, 2005. Three days later, on October 27, 2005, the detective received a call from Adler who told him that the defendant did not want to come to the precinct for a lineup. Adler further said that, if the detective arrested the defendant, the defendant should not be questioned. Adler gave the detective his telephone number.

On November 1 and 2, 2005, Adler called the detective in an effort to learn more information about the case. The first call was to the detective’s cell phone. The detective told Alder he was busy and would call Adler back. The second call was to the precinct where Adler left a message for the detective. Following Adler’s cancellation of the lineup appointment, the detective had received instructions from his “bosses” not to speak to Adler, and, apparently following these instructions, the detective returned neither of Adler’s phone calls.

On November 8, 2005 at about 9:30 a.m., the defendant walked into the precinct without his attorney, and the detective put the [889]*889defendant in an interview room. The detective told the defendant he could not speak with him, because his lawyer had told him not to do so. The defendant told the detective his lawyer knew he was at the precinct and had told him to come in. (According to the hearing testimony of Adler, which the court credits, Adler did not know the defendant was going to the precinct and had advised the defendant not to do so.) The detective then told the defendant he would be placed in a lineup which took place at approximately 11:10 a.m. The witness identified the defendant in a lineup containing five other persons. The detective had made no effort to contact Adler prior to conducting the lineup and “was not sure” that he ever gave the defendant an opportunity to call Adler.

Adler’s testimony revealed that, notwithstanding what the defendant may have told the detective, the defendant went to the precinct against Adler’s advice and without his knowledge. Adler, an experienced criminal attorney and qualified to accept County Law article 18-B homicide assignments, had been assigned to represent the defendant on the stolen car case. The defendant had told him that codefendant Emanuel had passed along a message from the detective that the detective wanted to speak with the defendant. Adler called the precinct and reached the detective who told Adler that the defendant may have been involved in a homicide related to the pending stolen car case and that the detective wanted the defendant to appear in a lineup. A tentative date of November 2, 2005 was scheduled for Adler to appear with the defendant subject to Adler speaking with the defendant.

Over the next two days, Adler spoke with the defendant (apparently over the telephone) and the defendant decided after listening to Adler’s advice not to agree to appear in the lineup. Adler called the detective back on October 27, 2005 and cancelled the lineup appointment. The defendant had a further telephone conversation with Adler, possibly on November 7, 2005, the day before the lineup in which the defendant said he wanted to go to the precinct and stand in the lineup. Adler had learned from the detective that the defendant’s photograph had already been identified by a witness and that, if the defendant appeared for a lineup, Adler believed the defendant would be identified and placed under arrest.

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People v. Williams, 13 Misc. 3d 886 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2006).

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