Traynham v. State

243 Md. App. 717
CourtCourt of Special Appeals of Maryland
DecidedDecember 20, 2019
Docket2687/18
StatusPublished

This text of 243 Md. App. 717 (Traynham v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Special Appeals of Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Traynham v. State, 243 Md. App. 717 (Md. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

Oswald Traynham v. State of Maryland, No. 2687, September Term, 2018, Opinion by Adkins, J.

EVIDENCE – HEARSAY – PRIOR IDENTIFICATION EXCEPTION – PHOTO ARRAY PROCEDURES

Maryland Rule 5-802.1(c) creates an exception to the rule against hearsay for statements of identification of a person made after perceiving the person. Because the witness’s statements during a photo array procedure were not positive identifications, they are hearsay.

CRIMINAL LAW – HARMLESS AND REVERSIBLE ERROR – HEARSAY

Erroneous admission of hearsay evidence was not harmless.

DUE PROCESS – IDENTIFICATION – IMPROPER POLICE INFLUENCE

When an identification is infected by improper police influence, the evidence must be screened for reliability. An improper conversation prior to trial between the police and the victim tainted future identification of the defendant by the victim. A source independent of the tainted conversation, however, rendered the in-court identification sufficiently reliable for admission. Circuit Court for Baltimore City Case No. 118137008 REPORTED

IN THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS

OF MARYLAND

No. 2687

September Term, 2018

______________________________________

OSWALD TRAYNHAM

v.

STATE OF MARYLAND ______________________________________

Fader, C.J., Shaw Geter, Adkins, Sally D. (Senior Judge, Specially Assigned),

JJ. ______________________________________

Opinion by Adkins, Sally D., J. ______________________________________

Filed: December 20, 2019

Pursuant to Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act (§§ 10-1601 et seq. of the State Government Article) this document is authentic.

2019-12-20 15:48-05:00

Suzanne C. Johnson, Clerk “[R]eliability is the linchpin in determining the admissibility of identification

testimony . . . .” Manson v. Brathwaite, 432 U.S. 98, 114 (1977).

Karen Lawson was robbed at gunpoint outside of her home. Days later, she looked

at a photo array of possible suspects. On her first look at Photo No. 4 she commented

“[b]eard yes,” and on her second look said “[d]on’t think so—not skinny enough.” Oswald

Traynham was the individual in Photo No. 4, and he was subsequently found guilty of

armed robbery, carrying a concealed weapon, and other crimes. During his trial, the court

admitted into evidence the photo array “identification.” We are asked to decide whether

the trial court erred by admitting the photo array—which means to decide if the array,

which is hearsay, falls under any exception to the rule against hearsay. Because we hold

that the photo array procedure did not constitute a prior statement of identification under

Maryland Rule 5-802.1(c), and satisfied no other hearsay exception, we reverse

Traynham’s convictions, and remand for a new trial.

BACKGROUND FACTS

On the evening of February 14, 2018, Karen Lawson had just parked her car on

Elmora Avenue when a man approached her asking for directions. He grabbed her, put a

gun to her side, took her bags, and ran away. Lawson’s cash, credit cards, gift cards, and

car keys were in her stolen bag.

Baltimore City Police Officer Gary Doyle responded to the scene. Lawson

described her assailant to Doyle as a “black male with a bushy beard, approximately 5’10”,

5’11” in height, small to medium build wearing a black cap and all black clothing.” A

magazine from a BB gun was recovered at the scene. Detective Calvin Moss was the lead detective assigned to the case. The day after

the robbery, Lawson told him there were charges on her credit card made after she had

been robbed. Moss went to the various locations where Lawson’s cards had been used (a

7-11 and two gas stations) and obtained surveillance video for the corresponding times.

The footage from all three locations showed the same men, and a red Ford Explorer. Moss

recorded the surveillance video from one of the locations (a BP gas station) with his phone.

Moss showed that BP gas station video on his phone to Lawson; she positively identified

one of the men in the video as her assailant. Moss made flyers based on still photographs

of two of the subjects from the surveillance video and distributed them to officers in the

area.

Officer Gary Klado received this flyer, which contained not only suspect

photographs, but also a vehicle description of the Explorer. On February 16, he observed

the Explorer on Harford Road. Klado approached the vehicle, photographed it, and

obtained the driver’s license. The driver was Traynham. After Klado relayed this

information to Moss, Moss created a photo array that included Traynham’s photo.

Detective Steve Mahan conducted the photo array procedure with Lawson.1 Moss and

Mahan believe Lawson positively identified Traynham as her assailant in the procedure.

1 A photo array identification procedure occurs when “an array of photographs, including a photograph of a suspect and additional photographs of other persons not suspected of the offense, is displayed to an eyewitness in hard copy form or by computer for the purpose of determining whether the eyewitness identifies the suspect as the perpetrator.” Md. Code (2003, 2018 Repl. Vol.), § 3-506.1(a)(8) of the Public Safety Article.

-2- Just a few hours after the photo array was conducted, Moss arrested Traynham. He

searched Traynham’s apartment, and found Lawson’s purse, bags, and some other items.

Traynham claimed that they all had been given to him by someone else. Moss returned

Lawson’s property to her and, while doing so, had a conversation with Lawson and her

husband about the case and Traynham.

At trial, the State introduced the photo array over Traynham’s objection. Lawson

testified about the photo array and then, without objection, identified Traynham in court.

A Baltimore City jury convicted Traynham of armed robbery, robbery, theft of property

with a value of $100 – $1500, and carrying a concealed weapon. He was sentenced to ten-

years’ incarceration for the armed robbery conviction and a concurrent three years for the

concealed weapon conviction.

Traynham presents us with one question: whether the trial court erred in admitting

evidence of identification.

DISCUSSION

Photo Array & Testimony

Ten days after the robbery, Mahan conducted the photo array. Lawson was shown

the array twice, according to Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”) procedure. Mahan

made notes on the Photographic Array Action Form (the “Array Form”), and recorded what

Lawson said as she reviewed the array. Lawson testified that the comments written by

Mahan accurately reflected what she said to him at the time she reviewed the array.

Regarding Photo No. 4—Traynham’s photo—Mahan wrote that Lawson commented

“[b]eard yes” on the first viewing, and “[d]on’t think so—not skinny enough” on the second

-3- pass through. Moss and Mahan viewed these comments as identifying Traynham.

Traynham was arrested approximately three hours after the array procedure was conducted.

During trial, over Traynham’s objections, the photo array was admitted into

evidence, as well as Lawson’s testimony regarding the array:

[STATE] Q: And, Ms. Lawson, did you also have occasion to view a series of photographs in relation to your robbery?

[LAWSON] A: Yes, I did.

***

Q: And were you able to pick out the person that robbed you from those photos?

A: From those ‘photos, I did choose a person that—

Q: Ms.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
243 Md. App. 717, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/traynham-v-state-mdctspecapp-2019.