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Summary of Opinion: People v. Young (Michigan Court of Appeals, Feb. 6, 1970)

Factual and Procedural Background

Donnie C. Young was convicted by a jury of assault with intent to rob and steal while armed (MCLA § 750.89). The incident occurred May 16, 1967, at a motel in Inkster at approximately 11:00 p.m. Two men entered, announced a holdup, produced weapons, and in the course of events one of the men went into the adjoining living quarters where a scuffle occurred; the two men then returned to the front office, one scooped money from the cash register, and both fled. The owner flagged down a passing police car and police apprehended Donnie C. Young and Ronald Carter almost immediately. A cap pistol was confiscated from Young and a .22-caliber revolver from Carter. A search at the police station produced $48 in currency and $12.55 in change on Young.

At trial Young testified in his own defense, admitting presence at the motel but claiming impaired awareness from a hangover and use of Seconals, and asserting he was not a knowing participant. Young admitted handling the cap pistol but stated Carter had initially held it and later would not take it back. The day after the holdup Young and Carter were presented in a lineup; the record contains no details of the lineup's circumstances or result.

Prior to jury selection Young moved to suppress any testimony related to the lineup until a separate preliminary hearing on the lineup's fairness; the motion was taken under advisement. Immediately before the prosecution called the desk clerk, Young renewed his request for a "Walker hearing" (separate hearing), again taken under advisement. When the desk clerk testified she recognized the defendant, Young objected and the trial court overruled the objection. Young appealed as of right; the Court of Appeals remanded with instructions.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether defendant was denied due process by the trial court's refusal to hold a separate preliminary evidentiary hearing to determine the fairness of the pretrial lineup.
  2. Whether defendant's challenges to the jury instructions (raised on appeal) are preserved, given that no objections were made at trial despite opportunity.

Arguments of the Parties

Defendant's Arguments

  • Defendant moved to suppress testimony regarding the pretrial lineup and requested a separate evidentiary hearing (a "Walker hearing") to determine whether the lineup's composition and conduct denied due process.
  • Defendant contended that if the lineup was suggestive, the in-court identifications were tainted and due process was violated.

People's (Prosecution's) Arguments

  • The prosecution argued the issue was controlled by People v. Barrow and that United States v. Wade (which established a right to counsel at lineups) was not retroactive; the lineup occurred May 17, 1967, before Wade's effective date (June 12, 1967).
  • The prosecution also argued (later in trial) effectively that because defendant testified he was present at the motel, any dispute over identification was foreclosed.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
People v. Childers (1969), 20 Mich. App. 639 Preservation of issue on appeal by timely motion. Cited to support that defendant's motion preserved the lineup issue for appeal; court found the issue properly preserved.
People v. Barrow (1969), 17 Mich. App. 624 Applied Wade nonretroactivity in that case. Prosecution cited Barrow to argue Wade did not apply to this lineup; court distinguished Barrow and rejected reliance on nonretroactivity as a dispositive answer here.
United States v. Wade (1967), 388 U.S. 218 (87 S Ct 1926, 18 L Ed 2d 1149) Held accused have a right to counsel at post-indictment lineups; established an exclusionary rule for identifications when counsel denied. Court noted Wade established an exclusionary rule for denial of counsel; distinguished the counsel-based rule from the separate due-process protection against unnecessarily suggestive lineups; cited Wade's requirement that prosecutor may attempt to show in-court identifications had an independent source by clear and convincing evidence.
Stovall v. Denno (1967), 388 U.S. 293, 302 (87 S Ct 1967, 1972, 18 L Ed 2d 1199, 1206) Recognition that unnecessarily suggestive pretrial confrontations may deny due process — independent of right-to-counsel questions; "totality of the circumstances" test. Court relied on Stovall to hold that fairness of a pretrial lineup is a due-process question independent of Wade and that the totality of circumstances standard governs the remand hearing.
Palmer v. Peyton (CA 4, 1966), 359 F.2d 199 Illustrated that unfair lineup practices can constitute a due-process ground of attack separate from right-to-counsel issues. Cited as authority for the proposition that unnecessarily suggestive identifications are an independent ground for relief.
Foster v. California (1969), 394 U.S. 440 (89 S Ct 1127, 22 L Ed 2d 402) Authority concerning due-process analysis of identifications (listed among related cases). Cited as additional authority in support of due-process concerns regarding pretrial identifications.
United States ex rel. Rutherford v. Deegan (CA 2, 1969), 406 F.2d 217 Authority concerning identification procedures (listed among related cases). Cited as additional authority regarding identification issues.
People v. Blumenshine (1969), 42 Ill.2d 508 (250 N.E.2d 152) Stated that defendant must prove the confrontation was so unnecessarily suggestive as to deny due process (placement of burden on defendant in that decision). Cited and discussed; court noted Blumenshine placed burden on defendant but declined to adopt that approach universally, explaining reasons why burden should be on prosecution in many cases.
People v. Conley (1949), 275 App. Div. 743 (87 N.Y.S.2d 745) Cited among cases concerning due process and identification practices. Listed as related authority ("See, also") supporting concerns about suggestive confrontations; cited but no distinct separate application beyond support.
People v. Gerace (1938), 254 App. Div. 135 (5 N.Y.S.2d 29) Cited among cases concerning due process and identification practices. Listed as related authority; cited but no distinct separate application beyond support.
Chapman v. California (1967), 386 U.S. 18 (87 S Ct 824, 17 L Ed 2d 704) Standard for harmless-error review: whether the constitutional error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Court applied Chapman to conclude it was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the lineup did not contribute to the conviction, warranting remand for hearing.
People v. Teal (1969), 20 Mich. App. 176 Related authority on harmless-error and identification issues. Cited along with Chapman to support the conclusion that the court could not find the lineup harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
People v. Walker (1965), 374 Mich. 331 Required a separate evidentiary hearing to determine voluntariness of a confession (Jackson v. Denno framework). Cited by analogy: court invoked the Walker/Jackson framework to require a separate out-of-jury evidentiary hearing on lineup fairness.
Jackson v. Denno (1964), 378 U.S. 368 (84 S Ct 1774, 12 L Ed 2d 908, 1 ALR3d 1205) Grounds for requiring separate hearing on voluntariness of confessions and explanation of problems when a jury alone decides the voluntariness issue. Court relied on Jackson's reasoning to analogize that juries cannot conclusively be left to resolve whether pretrial confrontations were unfair; used Jackson to justify remand for a separate hearing.
Stein v. New York (1953), 346 U.S. 156, 177 (73 S Ct 1077, 1089, 97 L Ed 1522, 1539) Discussed risk that confessions or other evidence may act as makeweights in jury verdicts and the difficulty of knowing how jury resolved issues. Cited in support of the proposition that juries may use pretrial identifications as makeweights, justifying the need for a separate hearing.
People v. Wright (1967), 6 Mich. App. 495 Illustrated the argument that testimony by defendant does not render moot challenges to inadmissible evidence; discussed in context of confessions. Used to reject the prosecution's argument that defendant's admission of presence at the motel foreclosed challenges to the identification; court explained that admission may have been prompted by the identification and thus does not render the issue moot.
United States, ex rel. Stovall v. Denno (CA 2, 1966), 355 F.2d 731 Related appellate authority on identification/confrontation issues cited in Palmer discussion. Cited in a footnote in the opinion's discussion of antecedent case law; treated as part of the background authority on identification due-process claims.
People v. Boyce (1946), 314 Mich. 608, 612, 613 Principle that burden is on the prosecution to prove voluntariness of a confession. Court analogized confession burden allocation to identification fairness and used Boyce to support the conclusion that the burden should be on the prosecution for confrontations without counsel present.
People v. Allar (1969), 19 Mich. App. 675 Failure to object at trial to jury instructions waives appellate review. Cited to hold that defendant's appellate challenges to jury instructions were waived because no timely objection was made at trial.
People v. Mallory (1966), 2 Mich. App. 359 Procedural rule that failure to timely object to instructions waives appellate review (cited with Allar and GCR 1963, 516.2). Cited to support waiver of defendant's jury-instruction claims on appeal.
Escobedo v. Illinois (1964), 378 U.S. 478 (84 S Ct 1758, 12 L Ed 2d 977) Referenced in discussion of right-to-counsel developments and related issues. Mentioned in the context of prior case law considered when analyzing right-to-counsel and identification issues; cited in discussion but not separately applied as decisive here.
Malinski v. New York (1945), 325 U.S. 401 (65 S Ct 781, 89 L Ed 1029) Principle that conviction founded in whole or in part on an involuntary confession denies due process regardless of other evidence. Cited within a quotation from Wright and Jackson material to support the proposition that involuntary evidence cannot be made harmless simply because other evidence exists.
Stroble v. California (1952), 343 U.S. 181 (72 S Ct 599, 96 L Ed 872) Authority concerning involuntary confessions and due process. Cited within the same context as Malinski to underscore that involuntary evidence taints convictions regardless of other evidence.
Payne v. Arkansas (1958), 356 U.S. 560 (78 S Ct 844, 2 L Ed 2d 975) Authority concerning due-process protections against involuntary statements being used to convict. Cited in the same cluster of authority supporting the proposition that involuntary evidence undermines due process.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The court proceeded step-by-step as follows, relying only on the opinion's text:

  1. Preservation: The court first found the lineup issue properly preserved for appeal by defendant's timely motion (citing People v. Childers).
  2. Distinction from Wade nonretroactivity: Although the prosecution relied on People v. Barrow and the nonretroactivity of United States v. Wade (lineup right-to-counsel rule), the court emphasized a crucial distinction: Wade created an exclusionary rule for identifications made at confrontations where counsel was denied, whereas an independent due-process right exists to be free from unnecessarily suggestive lineups (citing Stovall).
  3. Totality-of-circumstances test: The court adopted the Stovall formulation that a claimed due-process violation from a confrontation depends on "the totality of the circumstances" surrounding it; this is the standard to be applied on remand.
  4. Inadequacy of the record: The record contained no information about the composition or conduct of the lineup; the court therefore could not determine whether the lineup was unnecessarily suggestive or whether the lineup produced the identifications used at trial.
  5. Role of in-court identification and defendant's testimony: The court rejected the prosecution's contention that defendant's admission of presence at the motel rendered the identification issue moot, explaining that the admission might have been prompted by the identification and that the admission does not negate the potential taint.
  6. Harmless-error analysis: Applying Chapman, the court stated it was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the lineup did not contribute to the conviction; therefore reversal without a hearing was not justified.
  7. Remand for separate hearing: By analogy to Walker and Jackson v. Denno (which required separate hearings on voluntariness of confessions), the court ordered an evidentiary hearing outside the jury's presence to determine whether the pretrial confrontation was "unnecessarily suggestive" and whether defendant was thereby denied due process.
  8. Consequences if lineup found suggestive: If the remand hearing finds the lineup unnecessarily suggestive, all products of the confrontation are inadmissible; however, the prosecutor shall have the opportunity to prove by clear and convincing evidence that any in-court identifications had an origin independent of the lineup (citing Wade).
  9. Burden of proof: The court examined who should bear the burden on the fairness question. Noting difficulties with imposing a universal burden on the defendant (e.g., defendant may be unaware of the confrontation's circumstances), and by analogy to confession cases where the prosecution bears the burden, the court concluded that for identifications made at confrontations conducted out of the presence of defendant's attorney, the burden is on the prosecution to show fairness. Conversely, if counsel was present at the confrontation, it is incumbent on defendant to allege and factually support any claim the confrontation was unnecessarily suggestive.
  10. Jury-instruction claims: The court noted that defendant's objections to jury instructions were not raised at trial despite opportunity; such failure waived appellate review pursuant to cited authority and court rules.

Holding and Implications

Holding: The Court of Appeals remanded the case for an evidentiary hearing, to be held outside the presence of the jury, to determine whether the pretrial lineup was "unnecessarily suggestive" and thereby denied defendant due process. The court also held that when a confrontation occurred out of the presence of defendant's attorney the burden is on the prosecution to show the lineup was fair; where counsel was present at the confrontation, the defendant must allege and support claims of suggestiveness.

Implications and direct effects:

  • On remand the trial court must hold a separate hearing applying the "totality of the circumstances" standard (Stovall) to determine whether the pretrial lineup was unnecessarily suggestive.
  • If the lineup is found unnecessarily suggestive, all products of that confrontation are inadmissible. The prosecutor may attempt to rebut the taint by proving, by clear and convincing evidence, that any in-court identifications were based on observations independent of the lineup (per Wade).
  • The court allocated the burden of proof: for confrontations conducted without defendant's counsel present, the prosecution must show fairness; if counsel was present at the confrontation, the defendant bears the burden of alleging and factually supporting unfairness.
  • The defendant's appellate challenges to jury instructions were held waived because no timely objections were made at trial.

Remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

PEOPLE v. YOUNG

LESINSKI, C.J.

Defendant Donnie C. Young was convicted after a jury trial of assault with intent to rob and steal being armed, MCLA § 750.89 (Stat Ann 1962 Rev § 28.284). From this conviction defendant appeals as of right.

On May 16, 1967, two men entered a motel in the city of Inkster at approximately 11 p.m. After some conversation with the clerk on duty, who was the wife of the proprietor, they produced weapons and announced that it was a holdup. Upon hearing the commotion the owner came into the front office from the adjoining living quarters, whereupon he too was held at bay. In an effort to find more money, one of the holdup men took the owner back into the living quarters and the wife followed. After a scuffle with the owner, the thief said "let's get the hell out of here", ran back to the front office where the other waited, scooped some money from the cash register, and the two men ran out. The owner followed them out and waved down a passing police car. The police apprehended defendant and Ronald Carter almost immediately thereafter and placed them under arrest. A cap pistol was confiscated from Young and a .22-caliber revolver from Carter. A search of Young at the police station produced $48 in currency and $12.55 in change.

At trial Young testified on his own behalf. During the course of direct examination he admitted being at the motel on the evening of the holdup. It was his contention, however, that he was suffering from a bad hangover, resulting from an afternoon in a bar, and that he was sleepy, due to his having taken some pills known as Seconals or "reds." Under this condition, Young claimed that he was not fully aware of what was going on and that if a holdup took place he was not a knowing participant. Although he admitted handling the cap pistol in the motel and in the presence of the victims, he testified that Carter had first held it, then handed it to Young, who tried to hand it back, but kept it when Carter refused to retake it. Young stated that Carter took the owner into an adjoining room and that the owner's wife followed when Young put the cap pistol into his pocket. There was a tussling noise in the other room, Carter reappeared saying "let's get the hell out of here", and they left.

During the day following the holdup Young and Carter were presented to the witnesses in a lineup. The circumstances and result of the lineup are not presented in the record.

At trial, prior to the selection of the jury, defendant moved to suppress any testimony relating to the identification at the lineup until a separate preliminary hearing on the fairness of the lineup could be held. The motion was taken under advisement. Immediately prior to the prosecution's calling of the desk clerk, the defendant again objected, arguing that a procedure similar to a "Walker hearing" should be held to determine "whether there was a denial of due process in its [the lineup's] composition and in its conduct." Again the motion was taken under advisement. When the witness testified that she recognized the defendant as one of the holdup men, defendant objected for a third time. The court overruled the objection.

People v. Walker (On rehearing, 1965), 374 Mich. 331.

The first issue raised on appeal is whether defendant was denied due process by the trial court's refusal to hold a separate preliminary evidentiary hearing.

Initially we note that the issue was properly preserved for appeal by defendant's timely motion. People v. Childers (1969), 20 Mich. App. 639. We therefore turn to the merits.

It is argued by the people that the question is controlled by People v. Barrow (1969), 17 Mich. App. 624. There we held that United States v. Wade (1967), 388 U.S. 218 ( 87 S Ct 1926, 18 L Ed 2d 1149), which held that accused persons have the right to counsel at lineups, was not retroactive. The lineup in the instant case occurred May 17, 1967, several weeks prior to the effective date of Wade, June 12, 1967.

This argument, however, overlooks a fundamental distinction. The Wade decision established an exclusionary rule for identifications made during confrontations at which defendant was denied his right to counsel. Independent of the right to counsel, however, is the right to have a lineup not unnecessarily suggestive in nature when viewed within "the totality of the circumstances surrounding" the confrontation. Stovall v. Denno (1967), 388 U.S. 293, 302 ( 87 S Ct 1967, 1972, 18 L Ed 2d 1199, 1206). Thus, whether or not a lawyer is present and whether or not the lineup took place before Wade, the right exists as an element of due process.

The distinction was clearly noted in Stovall v. Denno, supra, where the Court noted at pp 301, 302:

"We turn now to the question whether petitioner, although not entitled to the application of Wade and Gilbert to his case, is entitled to relief on his claim that in any event the confrontation conducted in this case was so unnecessarily suggestive and conducive to irreparable mistaken identification that he was denied due process of law. This is a recognized ground of attack upon a conviction independent of any right to counsel claim. Palmer v. Peyton (CA 4, 1966), 359 F.2d 199." (Emphasis supplied.)

Even prior to Wade this distinction was set forth in Palmer v. Peyton (CA 4, 1966), 359 F.2d 199. There the court noted by way of footnote at p 202:

"At the reargument of this case, we requested discussion of the possible effect of the fact that Palmer was without counsel at the identification, in light of Escobedo v. Illinois (1964), 378 U.S. 478 ( 84 S Ct 1758, 12 L Ed 2d 977). Cf. United States, ex rel. Stovall v. Denno (CA 2, 1966), 355 F.2d 731. We do not reach Escobedo problems, however, since we conclude that the entire atmosphere surrounding the identification was a violation of due process."

See, also, Foster v. California (1969), 394 U.S. 440 ( 89 S Ct 1127, 22 L Ed 2d 402); United States ex rel. Rutherford v. Deegan (CA 2, 1969), 406 F.2d 217; People v. Blumenshine (1969), 42 Ill.2d 508 ( 250 N.E.2d 152); People v. Conley (1949), 275 App. Div. 743 ( 87 N.Y.S.2d 745); and People v. Gerace (1938), 254 App. Div. 135 ( 5 N.Y.S.2d 29).

In the course of the witness's testimony, no mention was made of the pretrial lineup. The fact that the witness did not testify regarding the prior identification does not in any way remove the taint of a prejudicial lineup if such a taint in fact exists.

Finally, the point is raised that since defendant has testified that he was present at the motel, any possible dispute as to whether the identification is correct is foreclosed. We disagree.

A similar argument was raised by the prosecutor in People v. Wright (1967), 6 Mich. App. 495. There this Court stated beginning at p 502.
"The prosecution further argues that the voluntariness issue is now academic since defendant took the stand and testified in open court that he shot Officer Bergum. This argument is spurious for two reasons. First, it unjustifiably assumes that the confession entered into evidence had no effect upon defendant's taking the witness stand. It is more than idle speculation to conclude from this record that the confession's admission placed the defendant in a position of being compelled to take the stand to explain why he had shot the officer. Secondly, the prosecution's argument assumes that the admission of confessions involuntarily rendered would not require reversal when there is separate and sufficient incriminating evidence to sustain a conviction. In this regard the United States Supreme Court stated in Jackson v. Denno, supra, at p 376:
"`It is now axiomatic that a defendant in a criminal case is deprived of due process of law if his conviction is founded, in whole or in part, upon an involuntary confession, without regard for the truth or falsity of the confession, Rogers v. Richmond (1961), 365 U.S. 534 ( 81 S Ct 735, 5 L Ed 2d 760), and even though there is ample evidence aside from the confession to support the conviction. Malinski v. New York (1945), 325 U.S. 401 ( 65 S Ct 781, 89 L Ed 1029); Stroble v. California (1952), 343 U.S. 181 ( 72 S Ct 599, 96 L Ed 872); Payne v. Arkansas (1958), 356 U.S. 560 ( 78 S Ct 844, 2 L Ed 2d 975).'" (Emphasis supplied.)
See, also, 1 Gillespie, Michigan Criminal Law Procedure (2d ed, 1969 Cum Supp) § 527, p 120, where it is noted:
"The issue of the voluntariness of the defendant's confession is not rendered moot by his taking the stand and testifying inculpatively at trial, since the introduction of the confession may have obliged him to testify defensively, and since the use in evidence of the involuntary confession requires reversal notwithstanding that there is sufficient evidence to convict aside from the confession."



The record in the instant case is absolutely devoid of any indication of what events occurred at the lineup. We are unable to say on the basis of such a record that the lineup was not conducted in an unnecessarily suggestive manner. We are also unable to say that but for the lineup the witnesses would have been able to identify defendant at trial. Moreover, but for the identification at trial, defendant's testimony might not be on the record.

When the fairness of a pretrial lineup is timely raised, identification testimony of those participating in the lineup process should not be admitted in evidence until a separate determination is made that the lineup was held in a manner consistent with the requirements of due process, or that the in-court identification would be free of taint and would have an independent origin.

We are not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the lineup did not contribute to defendant's conviction. Chapman v. California (1967), 386 U.S. 18 ( 87 S Ct 824, 17 L Ed 2d 704); People v. Teal (1969), 20 Mich. App. 176.

In People v. Walker (1965), 374 Mich. 331, the Court held that a separate evidentiary hearing was required to determine the voluntariness of a confession. The decision was in direct response to the United States Supreme Court's opinion in Jackson v. Denno (1964), 378 U.S. 368 ( 84 S Ct 1774, 12 L Ed 2d 908, 1 ALR3d 1205). The basis for the rule set forth in Jackson was twofolded. At p 379 the Court noted that when a jury returns a general verdict of guilty:

"It is impossible to discover whether the jury found the confession voluntary and relied upon it, or involuntary and supposedly ignored it. Nor is there any indication of how the jury resolved disputes in the evidence concerning the critical facts underlying the coercion issue. Indeed, there is nothing to show that these matters were resolved at all, one way or the other."

The second difficulty with having the jury resolve the issue was set forth earlier in Stein v. New York (1953), 346 U.S. 156, 177 ( 73 S Ct 1077, 1089, 97 L Ed 1522, 1539), and cited in Jackson at p 380:

"Perhaps a more serious, practical cause of dissatisfaction is the absence of any assurance that the confessions did not serve as makeweights in a compromise verdict, some jurors accepting the confessions to overcome lingering doubt of guilt, others rejecting them but finding their doubts satisfied by other evidence, and yet others or perhaps all never reaching a separate and definite conclusion as to the confessions but returning an unanalytical and impressionistic verdict based on all they had heard."

The same reasoning applies to pretrial confrontations. When a general verdict of guilty is returned, it is impossible to determine how a jury resolves the issue of the fairness and possible taint of a lineup or whether they resolve it at all. Further, a jury may use a pretrial identification as a makeweight to resolve doubt against a defendant despite its possibly being the result of unnecessarily suggestive circumstances.

We, therefore, remand for an evidentiary hearing out of the presence of the jury to determine whether the pretrial confrontation was "unnecessarily suggestive" and whether defendant was thereby denied due process of law. See, also, Stovall v. Denno, supra, and People v. Childers, supra. As noted in Stovall at p 302, "a claimed violation of due process of law in the conduct of a confrontation depends on the totality of the circumstances surrounding it." This standard is to be followed on remand.

Should it be concluded that the lineup was unnecessarily suggestive, all products of the confrontation are inadmissible. However, the prosecutor is to be given "the opportunity to establish by clear and convincing evidence that the in-court identifications were based upon observations of the suspect other than the lineup identification." United States v. Wade, supra, at p 240.

On remand the question of who has the burden of proof will arise. This is especially relevant in the instant case as defendant has failed to allege any facts to support his general challenge to the fairness of the confrontation.

Of the few cases on point, People v. Blumenshine (1969), 42 Ill.2d 508 ( 250 N.E.2d 152, 154), held that a defendant claiming a denial of due process "must prove that `the confrontation conducted * * * was so unnecessarily suggestive and conducive to irreparable mistaken identification that he was denied due process of law.'" No reasons were given to support the conclusion that the burden should always be on defendant.

There is a major difficulty, however, with putting such a burden on the defendant in all cases. In many types of confrontations the defendant will be totally unaware of the fact that witnesses are trying to identify him. When this happens it may well be impossible for defendant to know who was present at the confrontation, what was said or what facts existed which might make it "unnecessarily suggestive". The same is also true even where defendant knows he is being put in a lineup.

Some obvious examples are the use of one-way mirrors to observe defendant while he is being interviewed by a police officer and the use of photographs.

Putting the burden of proof on defendant in these situations may well result in denying him procedurally a right which is purportedly granted substantively. In the area of constitutionally guaranteed rights (here due process) such a result is not favored.

Moreover, in the analogous case where defendant challenges the voluntariness of his confession, it has long been the law that the burden is on the prosecutor. As noted in People v. Boyce (1946), 314 Mich. 608, 612, 613: "It was incumbent on the prosecution to prove that the confessions were voluntary."

We conclude, therefore, that for identifications made at a confrontation out of the presence of defendant's attorney, the burden is on the prosecution to show fairness.

A distinguishable situation appears to exist, however, where defendant has counsel present at the confrontation. For if counsel is present it is clearly his duty to observe and note the events and to learn, if possible, the identity of those present. Where counsel is present, it would be up to defendant to allege and factually support a claim that the confrontation was unnecessarily suggestive.

Defendant also questions the jury instructions given by the court below on several grounds. No objections were raised below although given specific opportunity by the trial court. Failure of timely objection waives such issues. People v. Allar (1969), 19 Mich. App. 675; People v. Mallory (1966), 2 Mich. App. 359; GCR 1963, 516.2.

Remanded for actions not inconsistent with this opinion.

All concurred.

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PEOPLE v. YOUNG
(Feb 6, 1970)