OPINION OF THE COURT
Following a joint trial with codefendant Osborne (Sonny) Boalds, defendant appeals from his judgment of conviction upon a jury verdict for robbery in the first degree (Penal Law, § 160.15). He was sentenced as a predicate felony offender to a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 nor more than 20 years.
The threshold issue we address is whether the identifications made by witnesses at a postindictment, prearraignment corporeal viewing of the then unrepresented defendant should have been excluded where defendant, in the absence of counsel, orally waived his right to have an attorney present at the lineup.
The order of the Appellate Division affirming the conviction should be reversed. The filing of an indictment constitutes the commencement of a formal judicial action against the defendant and is equated with the entry of an attorney into the proceeding. This being the case, a defendant in a postindictment, prearraignment custodial setting, even though not then represented by an attorney, may not in the absence of counsel waive his right to have counsel appear at a corporeal identification. Hence, any actions taken by the police with respect to an indicted but unarraigned defendant which impinge upon his right to counsel may not be used against him at trial.
The facts are uncomplicated and undisputed. On the night of March 9, 1974, two men robbed a bar, its manager and one of its patrons in Queens County. Responding to a radio call, two police officers arrived at the location just as one of the perpetrators was leaving the scene. In an exchange of gunfire one of the officers was fatally wounded, and his partner, after giving chase, soon lost sight of the suspect. Fortunately, later that night the police were directed to proceed to the apartment of Boalds’ common-law wife. After receiving permission to enter and search the premises, they discovered fruits of the earlier robbery, clothes apparently worn by the perpetrators and a gun which later proved to be the weapon which fired the fatal shots. Also in the apartment were Boalds and the defendant. While Boalds was immediately placed under arrest,
On May 1, 1974, the Queens County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging defendant and Boalds with two counts of murder, two counts of robbery and another of possession of a dangerous weapon arising out of the events of the night of March 9. At that time, however, defendant could not be found and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was later apprehended and placed in custody in Atlanta, Georgia, and was returned to New York on August 14, 1974. Immediately upon his arrival, defendant was transported to the 113th Precinct in order that he be placed in a lineup. Although not advised that he was under indictment, defendant was given his fourfold Miranda warnings (Miranda v Arizona,
In this State, the right of a criminal defendant to interpose an attorney between himself and the sometimes awesome power of the sovereign has long been a cherished principle. As early as 1777 (NY Const of 1777, art XXXIV), it had been recognized that even the most intelligent and educated layman lacks the skill and knowledge of the legal system to adequately prepare a defense, no matter how strong it might be (see People ex rel. Burgess v Risley, 66 How Pr 67). This need, moreover, has been recognized as all the more vital with respect to the unsophisticated, who are often uneducated in the ways of the criminal justice system and unaware of the role counsel can play in protecting their interests. "There has been no time in the governmental history of this State when the court lacked the power to assign counsel for the defense of indigent persons charged with crime” (People ex rel. Acritelli v Grout,
So valued is the right to counsel in this State (NY Const, art I, § 6), it has developed independent of its Federal counterpart (US Const, 6th Amdt). Thus, we have extended the protections afforded by our State Constitution beyond those of the Federal —well before certain Federal rights were recognized (e.g., Escobedo v Illinois,
In addition to their right to counsel aspect, these decisions vindicated an indicted or arraigned defendant’s privilege against compulsory self incrimination. Absent the advice of an attorney, the average person, unschooled in legal intricacies, might very well unwittingly surrender this right when confronted with the coercive power of the State and its agents (see People v Hobson,
However laudable the results of these cases may have been,
The initial responses to this problem were inconclusive and somewhat contradictory (compare People v Bodie,
Having completed this historical overview, we take this opportunity to make explicit that which was implicit in Hobson: a criminal defendant under indictment and in custody may not waive his right to counsel unless he does so in the
Once an indictment is returned against a particular defendant, the character of the police function shifts from investigatory to accusatory (People v Lopez, supra, at p 28 [dissenting opn]). For this reason, the warnings which are sufficient to comply with the strictures against testimonial compulsion do not satisfy the higher standard with respect to a waiver of the right of counsel. Prior to indictment, there may be valid reasons why an uncounseled suspect might wish to deal with the police. He may nourish the hope, however vain, that he can avoid any legal entanglement by simply clearing up a few loose ends. Alternatively, he may feel that by getting into the good graces of the police as an informer he might be able to avoid indictment and trial (see United States v Massimo, 432 F2d 324, 327 [Friendly, J., dissenting]).
No such opportunity is afforded him once the Grand Jury has spoken. At that point, there is no longer any inquiry into an unsolved crime and the suspect is now the accused. He cannot make any arrangement with the police which is not subject to the ultimate approval of the court and there ought be no necessity for further police investigation. In a very real sense, the indictment represents a method of commencing formal judicial proceedings against the defendant (People v Blake, supra, at p 339; Kirby v Illinois,
Indeed, any delay in arraigning an indicted defendant can have no rationale unless done for the purpose of buttressing what at that point is a prima facie case. For example, here, rather than arraigning defendant immediately, the police subjected him to uncounseled corporeal viewing. They were not merely trying to ascertain whether there was probable cause to believe a crime had been committed or even whether the defendant had committed the crime. They already knew that a crime had occurred and that defendant was to stand trial therefor. This is precisely the juncture at which legal
Of course, a postindictment defendant may knowingly and intelligently waive his right to counsel at any stage of the judicial proceedings (see People v McIntyre,
We reject the contention of the People that the purpose of the rule against an indicted defendant waiving his right to counsel in the absence of an attorney loses its force at a corporeal viewing. While we have noted that "the need for and right to a lawyer at an identification lineup is insignificant compared to the need in an ensuing interrogation” (People v Hobson, supra, at p 485), this in no way signifies that the assistance of counsel at a postindictment lineup may be ignored. The statement is simply a reflection of the degree of participation in which an attorney may necessarily engage during the two procedures, i.e., at a lineup, participation is relatively passive and confined to observation, whereas counsel actively advises the defendant during custodial interrogation. In any event, assistance of counsel after indictment at a lineup is an indispensable correlative to a fair trial (People v Blake,
Nor, contrary to the suggestion of the People, does People v Coleman (
A defendant is entitled to the assistance of an attorney at any critical stage of the prosecution. Generally, the critical stage commences upon the filing of an accusatory instrument (see People v Blake, supra, at pp 339-340; CPL 1.20, subd 1), but certain other procedures, such as a court order of removal, are " 'sufficiently "judicial” in nature’ ” to permit invocation of that right (People v Coleman, supra, at p 225). In any of these situations, if an attorney has entered the proceedings, the right to counsel may be waived only in his presence and with his acquiescence (People v Hobson, supra, at p 481;
Defendant raises a number of other issues. We deal with only one, however, since the question doubtlessly will arise upon retrial.
At trial, over objection, defense counsel sought to introduce a document prepared by the police department which synopsized a statement by codefendant Boalds. In that recitation, Boalds had admitted that he was indeed involved in the events of March 9, 1974 and had also implicated one Eduardo George as his lone accomplice in the crimes. Although the record lacks clarity, the statement was apparently suppressed before trial and was not introduced by the People on their direct case. When called by defendant, Boalds refused to testify, invoking his privilege against self incrimination. Thus, the statement was hearsay — an out-of-court statement offered to prove the truth of the matters asserted therein — and was not admissible into evidence unless embraced within an exception to the hearsay rule. The trial court refused to admit the report on the ground that it would cause irreparable prejudice to Boalds and denied defendant’s motion for severance.
The inherent dangers in hearsay evidence are obvious. As the person who made the statement is not called as a witness at trial, the adversary of the party offering the proof is afforded no opportunity to cross-examine the declarant or impeach his credibility (see 5 Wigmore, Evidence [Chadbourn rev], §§ 1361-1362; Richardson, Evidence [10th ed — Prince], § 201). However, oftentimes such evidence is necessary for
These exceptions to the hearsay rule are necessarily circumscribed. One of them, a declaration against the penal interest of the maker, might permit the introduction of Boalds’ statement into evidence at defendant’s new trial providing there is independent proof that it contains sufficient indicia of reliability and trustworthiness. The basis for this exception lies in the belief that a statement asserting matters directly endangering one’s penal interest by admitting facts that may lead to criminal liability is unlikely to be deliberately false (cf. People v Storrs,
Whatever force this rationale may have, prior to 1970 in this State only delcarations against the maker’s proprietary or pecuniary interests were admissible, however arbitrary or "barbarous” this differentiation may have been (5 Wigmore, Evidence [Chadbourn rev], § 1477). The distinction was blurred in People v Brown (
To qualify for admission into evidence as a declaration against the maker’s penal interest the following elements must be present: first, the declarant must be unavailable as a witness at trial; second, when the statement was made the declarant must be aware that it was adverse to his penal interest; third, the declarant must have competent knowledge of the facts underlying the statement; and, fourth, and most important, supporting circumstances independent of the statement itself must be present to attest to its trustworthiness and reliability (see People v Harding,
Applying these factors to Boalds’ statement, we note that, should Boalds once again invoke his right against self incrimination when called as a witness at defendant’s new trial, the unavailability criterion will be satisfied (see People v Brown, supra, at p 91). So, too, there can be little doubt but that, as
Consequently, there remains for our consideration only a discussion of those factors which will indicate whether a specific declaration against penal interest possesses a sufficient probability of trustworthiness to warrant its admission. The rationale for allowing these statements, of course, stems from the assumption that a person would not ordinarily make a statement which jeopardizes his interest by subjecting himself or herself to criminal prosecution and incarceration. As with all generalizations, however, human motivation and personality renders the stated reason for permitting these declarations immediately suspect. Simply stated, people may prevaricate, despite the consequences to themselves, to exculpate those they love or fear, to inculpate those they hate or because they are inveterate or pathological liars. Moreover, the circumstances under which this statement was made must be taken into account. Since Boalds impugned his penal interest when already subject to criminal prosecution, there is a distinct possibility that he was motivated to inculpate George in the vain hope of receiving immunity from prosecution in return for his testimony or of being allowed to plead guilty to a lesser crime. He could have been seeking to protect his real accomplice out of some perverted sense of loyalty at the expense of someone he despised with an irrational passion. Or, he could have been telling the truth. The possibilities are limited only by the depth of human experience.
Hence, it is not difficult to envision the abuses which the unlimited reception of such testimony might generate. To circumvent fabrication and insure the reliability of these statements, there must be some evidence, independent of the declaration itself, which fairly tends to support the facts asserted therein. Holmes, who decried the then-existing rule barring the use of declarations against penal interest, added they should be admissible only when "coupled with circumstances pointing to [their] truth” (Donnelly v United States,
Naturally, there can be no precise demarcation or formulation of the proof which would constitute sufficient supportive evidence of a declaration against penal interest. By its very nature, the determination involves a delicate balance of diverse factors and is entrusted to the sound judgment of the trial court, which is aptly suited to weigh the circumstances surrounding the declaration and the evidence used to bolster its reliability. The crucial inquiry focuses on the intrinsic trustworthiness of the statement as confirmed by competent evidence independent of the declaration itself. Circumstances of seeming indifference may still harmonize the declarant’s statement so as to furnish the necessary link. By way of illustration, eyewitness testimony placing George at or near the scene of the crime, or proof of his possession of the fruits or instrumentalities used to commit the crime would suffice. Supportive evidence is sufficient if it establishes a reasonable
Accordingly, the order of the Appellate Division should be reversed and a new trial ordered.
Chief Judge Breitel and Judges Jasen, Gabrielli, Jones, Wachtler and Fuchsberg concur.
Order reversed, etc.
Notes
(Federal Rules of Evidence, rule 804, subd [b], par [3] ["A statement * * * offered to exculpate the accused is not admissible unless corroborating circumstances clearly indicate the trustworthiness of the statement.”]; HR Rep No. 93-650, 93d Cong, 1st Sess, p 16; United States v Guillette, 547 F2d 743, 753-755; United States v Brandenfels, 522 F2d 1259, 1264, cert den