| People v Bradford |
| 2023 NY Slip Op 50636(U) [79 Misc 3d 1216(A)] |
| Decided on June 26, 2023 |
| Supreme Court, Kings County |
| Konviser, J. |
| Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. |
| This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports. |
The People of
the State of New York
against Ralief Bradford, Defendant. |
On January 10, January 13, and January 25, 2023 this Court conducted a combined Dunaway, Wade, Mapp hearing. Prior to the start of testimony the People moved to bifurcate the Wade hearing. The Court reserved decision at that time. Detectives Katherine Siljkovic, Salamir Taylor, Reaz Mohammed and Michael Perez, all of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), testified for the People. The defendant did not present any evidence. The parties made oral arguments on March 7, 2023, supplemented with case law. The defendant's motion is granted in part and denied in part. The Court credits the testimony of the People's witnesses and makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.
Detective
Katherine Siljkovic testified that she has been employed by the NYPD for approximately
12 and one-half years, currently assigned to the 75th Precinct Detective Squad.On July
15, 2018 she was working a 4:00
At approximately 7:26
At approximately 10:00
Det. Siljkovic indicated that at approximately 10:50
On July 17, 2018 Det. Siljkovic interviewed Confidential Witness 3 (CW3) at the
84th Precinct Detective Squad. CW3, who knew the victim as Chuck, was on the way to
a deli near Euclid and saw Chuck with another person inside the gate of a residence.
CW3 subsequently saw two males on Euclid Avenue near Blake Avenue say "he's over
here" and walk toward Chuck where a dispute ensued - the males wanted the victim to
come out of the gate to fight (Tr. 1/10/23 at 43). Chuck told CW3 that "they think I am
Crip" (Tr. 1/10/23). A "heavier male and Chuck began to tussle on the sidewalk and the
heavier male hit Chuck with a cane" (Tr. 1/10/23 at 44). CW3 then observed a "light
skinned male black with freckles and a skinny build pulled out a .38 long revolver with a
black handle and shot Chuck multiple times and fled with the other two males toward
the Cypress Houses" (Tr. 1/10/23 at 44). CW3 said that Chuck said "no, stop" before the
shooter fired (Tr. 1/10/23 at 44). Det. Siljkovic thereafter created another photo array
using the same steps she had employed for the first photo array. The defendant's parole
photo was placed in position one. Detective Reaz Mohammed of the 84th precinct
Detective Squad, whom Det. Siljkovic did not know personally, was asked to administer
the photo array. She did not discuss the case, nor did she indicate who the subject was in
the array. She handed Det. Mohammed a folder with the photo array documents
consisting of the instruction sheet, the photo array report, and the photo array, which
were received in evidence as People's 2a, 2b and 2c subject to connection.[FN6]
Det. Mohammed administered the array in People's 2 to CW3 on July 17, 2018 at 9:00
On July 18, 2018 at approximately 8:00
CW3 arrived at approximately 4:35
Det. Siljkovic subsequently contacted CW1 and prepared a third lineup for viewing.
She followed the same procedures as she had for the first two.[FN9]
Photographs of this lineup were [*5]admitted in evidence
as People's 7a, 7b and 7c at the hearing. The lineup information report, lineup viewing
report and lineup pre-viewing instructions were admitted in evidence at the hearing as
People's 8a, 8b and 8c, respectively. They were filled out in the same way as the previous
reports and included the fillers' and CW1's information, the latter of which was redacted.
The defendant and fillers were seated with a sheet from the neck down and durags for the
lineup and defendant again chose to remain in position number four. At approximately
7:35
Detective Salamir Taylor testified that he has been employed by the NYPD for
eighteen and one-half years, currently assigned to Counter Terrorism Division Shield
HUMINT Operations Unit in Washington D.C. On July 15 and 16, 2018, he was
assigned to the 73rd Precinct Detective Squad. At approximately 12:45
Detective Reaz Mohammed testified that he has been employed by the NYPD for
eleven years, currently assigned to the 84th Precinct Detective Squad. On July 17, 2018
at approximately 8:30 p.m. he was at the 84th Precinct when he was asked by Det.
Siljkovic to administer a double-blind photo array. He did not know Det. Siljkovic and
they did not discuss the case. She handed him a folder with the photo array documents
consisting of the instruction sheet, the photo array report, and the photo array that were
received in evidence as People's 2a, 2b, and 2c, respectively. Det. Mohammed did not
know the subject of the array, or in which position they were. Det. Mohammed
introduced himself to CW3 and brought them into a room at approximately 8:40
Detective Michael Perez of the Warrant Section Regional Fugitive Task Force
testified that he was in his 21st year with the NYPD and that he had been in his current
command, a U.S. Marshal led task force, for approximately three years. On July 18, 2018
he was a member of the Brooklyn North Violent Felony Squad and was assigned to
apprehend an individual named [*6]Ralief Bradley,
whom he identified at the hearing as the defendant. He had received an I-Card that
included a photograph of the defendant. He did computer inquiries that indicated the
defendant was being supervised by New York State Parole with a parole address of
102-10 Ditmars Boulevard, room 122, East Elmhurst, Queens. He contacted Parole and
they confirmed the defendant had last reported on July 16, 2018, that the Ditmars address
was a family shelter and, based on a prior home visit, that the defendant was staying there
with a young child and Tahkeyma McIver, the child's mother. (Tr. 1/25/23 at 171).
Detective Perez proceeded to the location at approximately 7:55
The Court fully credits the testimony of Detectives Katherine Siljkovic, Salamir Taylor, Reaz Mohammed and Michael Perez.
The People have met their burden of demonstrating that the police had probable cause to arrest the defendant. At the time the Probable Cause I-Card was issued, two identified citizen witnesses had positively identified the defendant in double-blind photo arrays. See People v. Read, 74 AD3d 1245, 1246 (2nd Dept 2010); People v. Warren, 12 AD3d 708 (2nd Dept 2004); People v. Sanders, 239 AD2d 528 (2nd Dept 1997). So, too, the defendant's arrest was lawful. The defendant voluntarily answered the door and was taken into custody once he stepped out of the door's threshold into the hallway. See, People v. Garvin, 30 NY3d 174, 177 (2017) (a [*7]warrantless arrest of a suspect in the threshold of a residence is permissible under the Fourth Amendment, provided that the suspect has voluntarily answered the door and the police have not crossed the threshold); Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980).
At a Wade hearing, the People have the initial burden of "producing evidence in support of the fairness of the identification procedure" (People v Holley, 26 NY3d 514, 521, [2015]; see also People v Chipp, 75 NY2d 327, 335 [1990]). If the People meet their burden, the onus shifts to the defendant to prove that the procedure was "improper" or "unduly suggestive" (Holley, 26 NY3d at 521; Chipp, 75 NY2d 327 at 335). The defendant concedes that none of the witnesses was improperly bolstered by making identifications in the presence of any other witness during either the showing of the arrays or the three lineups. The defendant also does not challenge the actual police conduct as being suggestive during the administration of the arrays or the lineups. Rather, the defendant focuses his motion to suppress on the makeup of the arrays and lineups, arguing that the defendant was improperly singled out by their composition.
The People argue that, in addition to all five of the identification procedures having been properly conducted, none of the procedures was unduly suggestive in composition.
The two photo arrays herein were administered in a double-blind procedure. Pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) section 60.25(1)(c), for a photographic array to be admissible, it is required that the administrator of the array not know who the suspect is and where the suspect is located within the array. "The 'blind/blinded' criterion is intended to deny the administrator of an identification procedure the knowledge that could prompt him (sic) to send signals, even unwittingly, to the viewing witness" (Hibel, New York Identification Law §4.06[4], at 4-62 [2021]). The two photo arrays in this case met the threshold for admissibility pursuant to CPL 60.25(1)(c). The arrays were prepared by Detective Siljkovic and administered by Detectives Taylor (for CW2) and Mohammed (for CW3). Neither of the administering detectives had any knowledge of the target or his position in the array. As noted, the defendant is not challenging the administration, but rather, the composition of the arrays. The defendant argues that the use of the defendant's parole photo in both arrays was unduly suggestive, as it depicts an individual "more in the distance" and therefore different in relative size, appearing "incredibly smaller" to the arrest photos of the five fillers. As such the defendant was highlighted to the array viewer (Tr. 3/7/23 at 5). The defendant further argues that the defendant is lighter skinned and wearing a darker shirt than the others. Furthermore, in the array shown to CW3 (People's 2c), the defendant's shirt is the only one with a visible star.[FN10] As such the defendant argues that the arrays as constructed were per se suggestive in that they drew the viewer to the defendant.
The People argue that Detective Siljkovic used the parole photo as it was a recent photo. In People's 1c, the array shown to CW2, Det. Siljkovic redacted the visible star graphic on the defendant's shirt by blacking it out and made a similar redaction to the bottom of each of the other five photos as two of the other fillers were wearing plain black shirts. As to People's 2c, the [*8]array shown to CW3, no redactions were made.[FN11]
The Court agrees with the defendant. While the dark color of his shirt was matched by two fillers in People's 1c, the defendant is further away from the camera showing more of his torso, while the fillers photos are head shots — the defendant stands out. In People's 2c the defendant is not only the only individual in a black shirt, which was part of the description, but because his photo includes a portion of the star graphic, a graphic that had been redacted in 1c, he is further set apart and the viewer is drawn to his photo. The difference in appearance — a more distant defendant in 1c and only the defendant depicted in a black shirt with a star graphic in 2c, immediately draws the viewer's attention to the defendant's photograph, as it did with this viewer, thus impermissibly highlighting the defendant's photograph. See People v. Shea, 54 AD2d 722, 722, (2d Dept 1976) (photo array found to be impermissibly suggestive where defendant's color photograph was not an official "'mug shot,'" and was much smaller in size than the others) cf. People v. Mainella, 2 AD3d 1330 (4th Dept 2003); lv denied 2 NY3d 742 (2003).
As such the Court finds that the two photo arrays, although properly conducted, were unduly suggestive requiring that the People establish an independent source for the admission of identification evidence as to CW2 and CW3.
As with the array, defense counsel does not challenge the manner in which the lineups were conducted, again challenging the composition of each of the three lineups based on disparities in age, height, weight, complexion and shirt color, between the fillers and the defendant. The Court has already ordered an independent source hearing as to the identifications of CW2 and CW3 based on a finding that the photo arrays shown to those witnesses were unduly suggestive and, as such, the admissibility of the lineups is also contingent of the determination of independent source. CW1's lineup identification, however, was not preceded by a photo array and therefore, its admissibility stands on its own.
"While the fillers used in a lineup must be sufficiently similar to the defendant so that no characteristic or visual clue would orient the viewer toward the defendant as a perpetrator of the crimes charged, there is no requirement that a defendant in a lineup be accompanied by individuals nearly identical in appearance" People v Baez, 172 AD3d 893, 893-894 [2d Dept 2019]) (internal citations omitted); lve denied 34 NY3d 928 (2019); see People v Chipp, supra at 336 [1990]). Here, the fillers sufficiently resembled the defendant. See People v Fingall, 136 AD3d 622, 623, (2nd Dept 2016); People v Speaks, 124 AD3d 689, 690, [2nd Dept 2015], affd 28 NY3d 990 [2016]). Moreover, Det. Siljkovic took reasonable steps to conceal any differences between the appearances of the lineup participants and the defendant (see People v Bradley, 160 AD3d 760, 761 [2nd Dept 2018]) by having the men seated, with a colored sheet held up to their necks, and their numbers held in front of them to account for any differences in the color of their shirts, as well as their height and weight. Baez, supra. Furthermore, to the extent the defendant was wearing a white t-shirt, which was not part of the description of the shooter, is of no moment as a ubiquitous white t-shirt does little to draw one's attention. See People v. Drayton, 70 AD3d 595 (1st Dept 2010) (fact that defendant was the only person in photo array in a white [*9]shirt, even where victim's description included reference to a white shirt, was unlikely to attract the victim's attention as a white shirt is an extremely common article of clothing (emphasis added); People v Tinnen, 238 AD2d 615, 616 (2nd Dept 1997) (fact that defendant had on a red shirt in the lineup did not draw undue attention to him, especially in light of the fact that the witness had not identified him as wearing a red shirt.) cf. People v. Pena, 131 AD3d 708 (2nd Dept 2015).[FN12] In addition, the men all wore black durags on their heads to account for any differences in hairstyles. Baez supra., citing People v DeJesus, 140 AD3d 788, 789, [2nd Dept 2016]; People v Brown, 47 AD3d 826, 827 [ 2nd Dept 2008]; People v Johnson, 306 AD2d 214, 215 (2nd Dept 2003). Furthermore, the photographs taken of the lineup reflect that any slight differences in skin tone between the defendant and the fillers were "not so apparent as to orient the viewer toward the defendant as the perpetrator of the crimes charged." People v. Gough, 203 AD3d 747 (2nd Dept 2022); see People v. Spence, 92 AD3d 905.
Thus, considering the totality of the circumstances surrounding the lineup viewed by CW1, the People have established the fairness of the procedure and the defendant has not met his burden of demonstrating that the lineup was improper or unduly suggestive. See, People v Holley, supra; People v Chipp, supra. Accordingly, the lineup is admissible and CW1 will be permitted to make an in-court identification at trial.
The defendant also moves to suppress the recovery of the defendant's cell phone and a pair of black and gold sneakers from inside the apartment in Queens that were recovered by Det. Perez inside the apartment after the defendant was taken into custody. Det. Perez testified that he and Det. Brennan initially entered the apartment with the consent of the defendant's girlfriend, Ms. McIver, to inform her of the defendant's arrest. At the time Det. Perez spoke to her he observed inter alia cell phones and several pairs of sneakers inside the apartment. After leaving the apartment he called Det. Siljkovic to inform her of the defendant's arrest. Det. Siljkovic requested the defendant's cell phone and the black and gold sneakers. Det. Perez returned to the apartment, again receiving permission for him and Det. Brennan to enter from Ms. McIver. He asked her for the defendant's cell phone, which she handed to him, and for the pair black and gold sneakers that he observed on the floor, to which she said ok.
"[T]he police may lawfully conduct a warrantless search when they have obtained the voluntary consent of a party who possesses the requisite degree of authority and control over the premises or personal property in question" People v. Ortiz, 87 AD3d 602, 603 (2nd Dept 2011) lve denied People v. Ortiz, 17 NY3d 954 (2011) (machete voluntarily relinquished by the defendant's girlfriend who lived in the apartment with the defendant) see People v. Cosme, 48 NY2d 286, 290 [1979]. With respect to apparent authority, "where the searching officers rely in good faith on the apparent capability of an individual to consent to a search and the circumstances reasonably indicate that . . . [the] individual does, in fact, have the authority to consent, evidence obtained as the result of such a search should not be suppressed" People v Williams, 210 AD3d 913, 913 (2d Dept 2022) quoting People v. Adams, 53 NY2d 1, 9 (1981). An objective evaluation of the evidence establishes that Ms. McIver had apparent authority to consent to the police entry and subsequent recovery of both the defendant's cell phone and [*10]sneakers as a "party who shares a common right of access or control over property may voluntarily consent to the search of the property." People v. Williams, 210 AD3d 913 (2nd Dept 2022) ; see also People v. Persaud, 212 AD3d 654 (2nd Dept 2023). Accordingly, the cell phone and sneakers were lawfully recovered from the apartment.
The defendant's motion to suppress the identifications and the property recovered from his apartment is GRANTED to the extent of ordering an Independent Source hearing as to an in-court identification by CW2 and CW 3 and otherwise DENIED as to the property recovered from the apartment and the lineup and potential in-court identification by CW1.
This constitutes the Decision and Order of this Court.
Dated: June 26, 2023