State v. Newman

688 P.2d 180, 141 Ariz. 554, 1984 Ariz. LEXIS 273
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 20, 1984
Docket6270
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 688 P.2d 180 (State v. Newman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Newman, 688 P.2d 180, 141 Ariz. 554, 1984 Ariz. LEXIS 273 (Ark. 1984).

Opinion

GORDON, Vice Chief Justice:

On July 31, 1982, Stanley B. Newman, Joe Nathan Evans, and Jerome Edwards Fields escaped from the Fort Grant Training Center, a minimum security institution operated by the Arizona Department of Corrections. On August 3, 1982, they confronted seventeen-year-old Kelly Shannon as he entered his Graham County home. Armed with weapons they obtained from *556 the Shannon residence, they forced young Shannon to drive them out of the state. Shannon, with his vehicle, was released unharmed in Texas approximately twelve hours after the initial encounter.

Upon their arrests, each of the three appellants was charged with ten counts: Count I, second degree escape; Count II, dangerous or deadly assault by a prisoner; Count III, aggravated assault; Count IV, kidnapping; Count V, second degree burglary; Count VI, armed robbery; Count VII, theft of property (cash, groceries, and the weapons) valued between $500 and $1000; Count VIII, theft of property (the vehicle) valued more than $1000; Count IX, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and theft; and Count X, promoting prison contraband. Prior to trial, each appellant pled guilty to the escape count (Count I). After the state’s presentation of evidence, the trial court granted a directed verdict on the promoting prison contraband count (Count X). The remaining eight counts were submitted to the jury. The jury returned guilty verdicts on Counts II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, and IX. On Count VIII, each defendant was found guilty of the lesser included offense of unlawful use of a means of transportation. . Each appellant was sentenced as follows: Count I (escape), six years consecutive to the sentences then being served; Count II (dangerous or deadly assault by a prisoner), life imprisonment consecutive to the sentences then being served; Count III (aggravated assault), twenty years concurrent to the escape and deadly assault sentences; Count IV (kidnapping), twenty years consecutive to the escape and deadly assault sentences; Count V (burglary), twenty years concurrent to the escape and deadly assault sentences; Count VI (armed robbery), twenty-eight years consecutive to the escape, deadly assault, and kidnapping sentences; Count VII (theft of property valued between $500 and $1000), twelve years concurrent to the escape and deadly assault sentences; Count VIII (unlawful use of transportation), four and one-half years concurrent with the escape and deadly assault sentences; and Count IX (conspiracy), twenty-eight years consecutive to all other sentences. Each of the appellants filed timely notice of appeal from the judgments of guilt and the sentences imposed. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Ariz. Const, art. 6, § 5(3) and A.R.S. § 13-4031.

In their joint appellate briefs, appellants raise three issues:

1. whether Shannon’s identification of them at trial was tainted by unduly suggestive pre-trial procedures;
2. whether their motion for a directed verdict on Count II was improperly denied; and
3. whether the sentences for kidnapping, armed robbery, and conspiracy should have been concurrent to, rather than consecutive to, each other.

PRE-TRIAL IDENTIFICATION

Appellants assert that Shannon’s identification of them after the incident was the result of an unduly suggestive identification process and that his identification of them at trial was thereby tainted. We have recently reviewed the procedure for evaluating such claims. See State v. McCall, 139 Ariz. 147, 677 P.2d 920 (1983), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 104 S.Ct. 2670, 81 L.Ed.2d 375 (1984). There, we stated that “[e]ven where a pre-trial identification process is unduly suggestive, the resultant in-court identification is admissible if, in view of the totality of the circumstances, the in-court identification is reliable.” (citation omitted) Id. at 154, 677 P.2d at 927.

We agree with appellants that the identification process in this case was unduly suggestive. On the day' following the kidnapping, Shannon was shown three “escape fliers” which pictured each of the appellants. From the fliers, he knew that the men in the pictures had been inmates at Fort Grant, had escaped from Fort Grant, and had committed the various crimes which had resulted in their confinement. The danger that a witness or a victim will make an incorrect identification is heightened when authorities display only a single *557 individual who generally resembles the person described by the victim or witness. Simmons v. United States, 390 U.S. 377, 88 S.Ct. 967, 19 L.Ed.2d 1247 (1968). We hold that the single photograph showing was unduly suggestive. Cf. State v. Ware, 113 Ariz. 337, 554 P.2d 1264 (1976).

Despite finding that the identification process was suggestive, we hold that there were significant indicia of reliability surrounding Shannon’s identification of appellants and that there was no error in allowing him to identify appellants during their trial. Factors considered in this determination include:

“(1) the opportunity of the witness to view the criminal at the time of the crime,
(2) the witness’ degree of attention,
(3) the accuracy of the witness’ prior description of the criminal,
(4) the level of certainty demonstrated by the witness at the confrontation, and
(5) the length of time between the crime and the confrontation.”

State v. McCall, supra, at 154, 677 P.2d at 927. Shannon testified at the hearing on the admissibility of identification evidence that he had been with appellants for several hours during the kidnapping, that he had never been blindfolded or had his vision obstructed in any way, that it had been daylight for much of the time he was with appellants, that he and appellants had all sat in the cab of his pickup truck during most of their' travels, that he had focused his attention on appellants, and that he had been able to clearly see and remember their faces, heights, weights, and clothing. He testified that he had a clear recollection of their faces even before viewing the photographs and that, based on his own perceptions and independent recollection of the incident, he could have identified appellants without having seen the photographs. Based on the totality of the circumstances in this case, we find no error in the trial court’s refusal to suppress the identifications.

DENIAL OF THE DIRECTED VERDICT MOTION

Appellants contend that a directed verdict of acquittal should have been granted on Count II, dangerous or deadly assault by a prisoner. A.R.S. § 13-1206 provides:

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Bluebook (online)
688 P.2d 180, 141 Ariz. 554, 1984 Ariz. LEXIS 273, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-newman-ariz-1984.