This appeal consists of two separate cases which have been consolidated for purposes of appeal. In case No. 83-509 the appellant, Terry L. Christianson, was convicted of robbery, in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. §28-324 (Reissue 1979), and the use of a firearm to commit a felony, in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1205 (Reissue 1979). Robbery is a Class II felony and the use of a firearm is a Class III felony. This conviction grew out of a robbery committed on October 11, 1982, of the Payless shoestore in Omaha, Nebraska.
In case No. 83-510 Christianson was also convicted of robbery and the use of a firearm
With regard to the first assignment of error, Christianson maintains that the trial court should have disallowed the in-court identification because the witnesses were permitted to congregate together following their identifying him in a police lineup. The evidence discloses that, with regard to each of the robberies, four witnesses at various times were brought to a properly conducted lineup and asked to identify the man who robbed them. In each instance, without hesitation, the witnesses identified Christianson as the man who committed the robbery. Following the identification, each witness was placed in a room with the other witnesses who had identified Christianson as being involved in the various robberies. While the witnesses were in the room, they discussed the identification they had already made at the lineup. Except for Christianson’s claim that the witnesses were permitted to meet together after each of them had individually identified Christianson, no other claim of impropriety is made. Christianson does not maintain that the lineup itself was in any manner improper, nor that the in-court identification conducted at the trial was improper. Christianson’s argument is simply that because the parties were able to meet together after they had initially identified Christianson in the lineup, both the lineup identification and the in-court identification were tainted and should have been disallowed. In support of this position, however, Christianson is unable to cite to us any authority, nor are we able on our own to find any such authority. We have frequently declared that whether an identification procedure is violative of due process will be determined upon a consideration of the totality of the circumstances surrounding it. See, State v. Gingrich,
Turning, then, to Christianson’s second error, that the court should have suppressed physical evidence obtained when the police searched Christianson’s automobile, we likewise conclude that it is
The determination of whether a consent to search is voluntarily given is a question of fact. State v. Skonberg,194 Neb. 550 ,233 N.W.2d 919 (1975). The voluntariness of the consent to search should be determined from the totality of the circumstances surrounding it. State v. Van Ackeren,194 Neb. 650 ,235 N.W.2d 210 (1975). The findings of fact in this respect will not be set aside on appeal unless they are clearly erroneous. In making that determination this court will take into consideration the advantage of the district court in having heard the oral testimony. State v. Billups,209 Neb. 737 ,311 N.W.2d 512 (1981).
The mere fact that the individual is in police custody, standing alone, does not invalidate the consent if, in fact, it was voluntarily given. See United States v. Green,
For these reasons, therefore, the assignments of error proposed by Christianson are found to be without merit and are overruled. The judgments and sentences of the trial court in each of the cases involved herein are affirmed.
Affirmed.
