Case Title: State v. Trinque (Concurring Opinion)

Citation: 

Docket Number: CAAP-12-0001017

State: hawaii

Court: Hawaii Supreme Court

Date: 2016-03-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI'I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Concurring Opinion by Ginoza, J

I agree with the majority opinion that, given the
circumstances in this case, Statements 2 and 3 should not have
been suppressed. However, in relation to the circumstances
surrounding Statement 2, I take a somewhat different view than
the majority in regard to Officer Richard Rosa's (Officer Rosa)
statements to Defendant-Appellee Rick Tringue (Tringue) .

officer Rosa was assigned to watch Trinque after
Trinque had been escorted out of the pasture and was being held
in a residential area. The relevant and uncontested findings by
the circuit court related to Statement 2 are as follow

 

34. Once [Tringue] and the officers arrived at the
the reaidence(,) (trinque} "was ordered co
a bench, and Officer Silva immediately directed
Gtficer’ Roa to watch over (Trinquel-

 

 

15. Prior to that date and time, officer Rosa had never
met or seen (Tringuel

as.

 

a.

 

identifies himself co (Teingue], telling
(trinquel that he was Sergeant Rosa from the Warcotics
Unie of the Kauai Police Bepartment.

28. Officer Rows then went on to tell (Tringuel that he
wasn't eure if Nr. Tringue knew who he was, but that
he wag the officer who worked on’ (rinque
daughter's case, that if (Tringue) did net believe
him; [Fringue} Could calk to (Fringue'e] daughter
about it, hat he would not Lie to (Sringuel, he would
hot “Jerk [tringue's) chain*, and phat he would be
Completely honest with [rringuel (11

 

 

19. officer Rosa then told (Pringue] not to make a
Statenent until (rrinque) was advised of his
Constitutional rights,

 

20. {eingue] then said, *what for? You caught us red
handed, there's nothing left to say, times are hard
and we needed the money(.1"

In determining whether Officer Rosa's interaction with

‘Trinque constituted interrogation, we consider the "totality of
the circumstances" and, ultimately, whether Officer Rosa should

+ paced on Officer Rosa's testimony at the suppression hearing, he had

ascioted Tringue'e daughter in s case where she wae having problene with
Certain individuals and she was concerned for Tringue because she was under
the inpression that the individuals were going to assault Tringue.
FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI'I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

have known that his "words or actions were reasonably likely to
elicit an incriminating response" from Trinque. state v. Eli,
126 Hawai'i 510, 522, 273 P.3d 1196, 1208 (2012) (citation and
internal quotation mark omitted); State v, Naititi, 104 Hawai'i
224, 236, 87 P.3d 893, 905 (2004); State v, Ketchum, 97 Hawai'i
107, 119, 34 P.3d 1006, 1018 (2001). Because Officer Rosa
specifically told Tringue not to make a statement until Trinque
was advised of his rights, I agree with the majority that officer
Rosa's interaction with Tringue did not constitute interrogation.
However, I would not suggest, as the majority opinion apparently
does, that Officer Rosa's other statements to Trinque, made prior
to Miranda warnings,? were not potentially problematic.”
Although the "totality of the circumstances" in this case bear
out that there was no interrogation, it seems foreseeable that in
other circumstances, regardless of the intent of the officer,
words or actions such as those by Officer Rosa could start to
approach the line of interrogation. In other words, such
statements, along with other surrounding circumstances, could
become "words or actions [that are] reasonably likely to elicit
an incriminating response." Eli, 126 Hawai'i at 522, 273 P.3d at
1208; see also, State v. Juranek, 644 N.W.2d 791, 802 (Neb.
2024) (noting that "questions intended to build rapport with a
defendant can easily cross the line into interrogation") .

I respectfully concur

Se ui key

> ixanda v. arizona, 364 U.S. 436 (1966)

> im particular, with respect to Officer Rosa's statements that he had
worked on the case involving Tringue's daughter, that Officer Rosa would not,

Ife to Tringue, would not jerk Trinque's chain, and that Officer Bose would be
completely honest with trinque, the majority states: "it is not clear why ie
OF Officer hosa to provide this information to fringis oF

FORE attempt to develop rapport with tringue should be

 

     

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