United States v. Pomales-Arzuaga

319 F. Supp. 3d 578
CourtUnited States District Court
DecidedJune 19, 2018
DocketCriminal No. 14–609–1 (DRD)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 319 F. Supp. 3d 578 (United States v. Pomales-Arzuaga) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States District Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Pomales-Arzuaga, 319 F. Supp. 3d 578 (usdistct 2018).

Opinion

ORDER ADOPTING MAGISTRATE JUDGE'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION RE: SUPPRESSION

DANIEL R. DOMINGUEZ, Senior United States District Judge

Pending before the Court are the following motions: (a) Motion to Suppress Out of Court Identification filed by the defendant Luis Pomales-Arzuaga (hereinafter the "defendant" or "Pomales-Arzuaga"), at Docket No. 65; (b) the United States of America's Motion in Support to its Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Suppress filed at Docket No. 59; (c) the [Second] United States of America's Motion in Support to its Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Suppress filed at Docket No. 126; (d) Minutes of Proceedings filed at Docket No. 122; (e) Briefing on Suppression Hearing by Mr. Pomales-Arzuaga *580filed at Docket No. 130; and (f) the Report and Recommendation issued by the United States Magistrate Judge Silvia Carreno-Coll (hereinafter "Magistrate Judge"), filed on August 15, 2017 at Docket No. 134. For the reasons set forth below, the defendant's motion to suppress is denied.

Factual and Procedural Background

Defendant was indicted on October 8, 2014 following a Complaint filed on October 4, 2014. See Complaint filed at Docket No. 1, and the Indictment filed at Docket No. 8. The facts that triggered the Indictment may be summarized as follows.

On or about September 18, 2014, the defendant was charged together with other persons, within the jurisdiction of this Court, did intentionally take a motor vehicle, that is, 2013 Nissan Frontier, white in color, bearing Puerto Rico license plate number 927-985, VIN No. 1N6BD0CT5DN731337, that had been transported, shipped and received in interstate and foreign commerce, from the presence of E.G.F. (male adult), by force, violence, and intimidation, with the intent to cause death and seriously bodily harm. All in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119(1) and (2). The defendant was also charged with aiding and abetting other persons during the commission of this crime. See Count One of the Indictment at Docket No. 8.

On that same date, the defendant was further charged for carrying and using a firearm, as well as aiding and abetting other persons in the commission of the crime, including the brandishing of a firearm to commit a crime of violence. All in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(d), and 28 U.S.C. § 2461(c). See Count Two of the Indictment. All of the above crimes, entail a sentence of more than one year, if found guilty.

The Indictment also provides that should the defendant be found guilty in Count Two, Mr. Pomales-Arzuaga shall forfeit to the United States, any firearms and ammunition involved or used in the commission of the offense, as provided by 18 U.S.C. § 924(d), and 28 U.S.C. § 2461(c). See the Firearms and Ammunition Forfeiture Allegation included in the Indictment at Docket No. 8.

Mr. Pomales-Arzuaga was arrested on October 4, 2014. Defendant was arraigned on October 9, 2014, and ordered detained without bail on the same date. See Minutes of October 9, 2014 at Docket No. 10, and the Order of Detention Pending Trial of October 9, 2014 at Docket No. 11.

On April 16, 2016, the defendant filed a Motion to Suppress Out of Court Identification filed at Docket No. 65, on the grounds that the "line up identification was suggestive in so far as the four additional subjects placed in the line up along with the defendant were: (i) all police officers of shorter height than the defendant; (ii) they didn't have a beard chin and a black beard was painted in their faces; (iii) they were requested to get close to the glass where the obvious physical differences were visible and highlighted the defendant's persona."See Docket No. 65, p.1.

Mr. Pomales-Arzuaga further alleges that at the time he "was placed in a lineup with four policemen, he had not only been detained but was a suspect in the case." Id. , p.2. The defendant alleged that he was deprived to have an attorney present at the time of the lineup, all in violation of his constitutional rights, and cites Neil v. Biggers , 409 U.S. 188, 93 S.Ct. 375, 34 L.Ed.2d 401 (1972), and U.S. v. Wade , 388 U.S. 218, 87 S.Ct. 1926, 18 L.Ed.2d 1149 (1967), in support of his argument that the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution "guarantees an accused the right to counsel at his trial and any critical stage in the prosecution." See Docket No. 65, page 2. "A critical stage in the prosecution *581included any proceedings which might either determine the accused's fate or impair his right to fair trial." Id. , p.2.

Lastly, the defendant alleges that "in a suppression hearing the court need to conduct a two-step test in evaluating a challenge to the admissibility of a lineup identification." Id. , p.4. "A defendant must establish that the lineup was unduly suggestive." Id. "Then the court must determine whether the identification was nevertheless reliable. U.S. v. Harris ,

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319 F. Supp. 3d 578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-pomales-arzuaga-usdistct-2018.