Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cr-00014/USCOURTS-azd-2_05-cr-00014-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Rodney Audie Belvado
Defendant
United States of America
Plaintiff

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

United States of America,

Plaintiff, 

vs.

 

Rodney Audie Belvado, 

 

Defendant. 

 

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CR 05-0014-PHX-EHC 

 ORDER

 

 

Background

Rodney Audie Belvado (Defendant) was indicted January 11,

2005, for Crime on an Indian Reservation (CIR) for First

Degree Murder (Dkt. 9):

On or about December 8, 2004, in the District of

Arizona, within the confines of the San Carlos

Indian Reservation, Indian Country, Rodney Audie

Belvado, an Indian, did, with premeditation and

malice aforethought, willfully kill and murder Homer

Jess Stevens, Sr.

The Indictment noted "THE FOLLOWING SENTENCING FACTORS

ALSO APPLY:"

1. The victim was vulnerable; and

2. Defendants' conduct was extreme."

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Defendant was arrested December 12, 2004 and has been in

custody since that date.

Attorney Richard L. Juarez was appointed to represent

Defendant December 22, 2004. He filed a Motion May 19, 2005

to Suppress Statements Defendant "made to interrogatory law

enforcement officers on December 12, 2004 because such

statements were involuntarily made in violation of the Fifth

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and and (sic)/or Miranda

v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694

(1966)." (Dkt. 27).

Juarez was withdrawn as appointed counsel after his

appointment as an Assistant Public Defender. Mark A. Paige

was appointed May 26, 2005 from the Criminal Justice Panel to

represent Defendant. (Dkt. 29).

After a number of continuances on Motions of Defendant

(Dkts. 14, 23, 31, 34, 40, 45, 52, 53, 54, 65), the Motion to

Suppress was partially heard on April 25, 2006, with a

continued hearing set for May 12, 2006. (Dkt. 73).

Motion to Suppress

The Ninth Circuit had occasion in U.S. v. Haswood, 350

F.3d 1024 (9th Cir. 2003) in reversing an Order of this Court

which suppressed statements made by Haswood to a government

agent, to set forth legal principles to be considered in

resolving a suppression motion. (pgs. 1027-1029).

(p. 1027)

A confession is involuntary if coerced either by

physical intimidation or psychological pressure.

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A confession accompanied by physical violence is per

se involuntary, while one accompanied by

psychological coercion is not.

The totality of the circumstances contains no

'talismanic definition' of voluntariness (citation

omitted). Courts instead often consider the

following factors: the youth of the accused, his

intelligence, the lack of any advice to the accused

of his constitutional rights, the length of

detention, the repeated and prolonged nature of the

questioning, and the use of physical punishment such

as deprivation of food or sleep.'

(p. 1028)

Suspects will naturally adopt various phrases that

an officer used during questioning. These phrases

may even show up in written statements...Nothing

suggests however, that Agent Kirk influenced

anything other than Haswood's word choice. This is

not evidence of coercion. 

(p. 1029)

Even misrepresentations by law enforcement, while

reprehensible, do not necessarily evidence coercive

conduct. (citation omitted).

Agents Louis Moran and Auggie Belvado testified at the

suppression/voluntariness hearing on April 25, 2006. (Tr.

pgs. 4-69).

Agent Moran has been a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Agent on the San Carlos Indian Reservation for approximately

thirteen years; before that he was a BIA Police Department

Officer for eleven years.

Agent Belvado had been a Special Agent with the BIA for

two years. He had previously been with the Tribal Police

Department for four years. He is a member of the San Carlos

Tribe. Agent Belvado had a family relationship with

Defendant's adopted parents. Agent Belvado testified that he

met the Defendant sometime in 2002 at a family picnic. He

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had little contact with Defendant and he never coached him.

He had no knowledge about any difficulties Defendant may have

in understanding or learning problems. Belvado is a common

name on the Reservation.

On December 9, 2004, at about 1:00 a.m., Agent Belvado

called Agent Moran about a "murder scene involving the murder

of Jess Homer Stevens on the San Carlos Reservation." Moran

went to the scene and was briefed by Agent Belvado and they

did a cursory walk through the murder scene near Vernon

Steele's residence. Moran saw an Indian male lying face down

in a camp fire under a "shade" near the Steele residence.

Moran observed that the victim had been burned and his

skull was crushed, with part of the brain exposed.

There were a number of people who had been drinking at

the Steele residence when Moran arrived. Several were

interviewed at the residence; others were interviewed later.

Two of them were arrested at the scene for outstanding arrest

warrants. All interviews at the scene occurred while seated

in an Agent's vehicle. Defendant was reported by several

persons as being at the Steele's residence that evening.

The Agents first interviewed Defendant on December 10,

2004, to see what information he had. Defendant was asked to

come to the Agents' office and he did so voluntarily. His

mother came with him. Defendant was not arrested or in

custody. He was not a suspect at that time. The interview

office was approximately 20'x 20'; both Agents were present

for the interview; it was conducted by Agent Moran. It was

not a crowded room. Defendant recalled "Vernon Steele" saying

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that there was a person (the "old man") lying on the fire. 

Defendant said that Vernon told everyone who was outside to

leave. Defendant said he left at that time.

Based on their later interviews with other persons, Moran

decided to re-interview Defendant as a possible suspect. On

December 11, 2004 they learned that he was away from the

Reservation.

Agent Moran testified that Defendant's mother by adoption

Rose Belvado called the morning of December 12th, inquiring

about why they had been looking for Rodney. She was told

that the investigation was continuing and they wanted to talk

to him again. They offered to go to her house or for Rodney

to come to their office. Agent Moran testified that she was

not ordered to bring Rodney.

Defendant and Mrs. Belvado arrived at approximately 11:50

a.m.

Defendant was asked to go into the office where he had

been interviewed earlier. Mrs. Belvado was told she could

wait or come back in about an hour. She did not ask to be

present at the interview and she left. Defendant did not ask

to have her at the interview.

Defendant was told that the interview would be recorded

and the machine was turned on before he was advised of his

Miranda rights. The rights were read to him from a form.

(Exh. 1). Defendant and Agents Moran and Belvado signed the

form. Defendant was given the Waiver of Rights form and he

signed it without asking any questions.

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1

 The victim is variously referred to as Jess Homer Stevens,

Homer Jess or Jess.

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Agent Moran conducted the interview; he testified that

during the interview, which lasted approximately twenty to

thirty minutes, Defendant initially denied having anything to

do with the death of Jess Stevens.1

Later, during the interview, Defendant told the Agents

that he had a brief discussion with Homer Jess about Jess

making some statement about a tribal election in which

Defendant's uncle had been defeated for a council seat. This

is the first time that the Agents learned about this

circumstance. Defendant said Jess' remarks angered him; he

confronted Jess at the shade house and there was no one else

there. Defendant claimed that Jess swung at him and in doing

so fell off his chair. Defendant said he kicked Jess three

times in the chest and admitted hitting Jess in the head with

a piece of wood or a log. Throughout this interview

Defendant denied using a white pole when he struck the

victim.

Defendant was asked if he was willing to write out a

statement and he agreed to do so; he was given a pen and

paper. (Exh. 2). Agent Belvado remained with Defendant until

another agent (Christina Billagody) came to sit with

Defendant.

It took Defendant about a half hour to complete his

written statement. In the statement, (which ended at 1:42

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p.m.), Defendant reported that he used the white metal pole

and provided details concerning his assault on the victim.

After Agent Moran read the statement, he discussed with

Defendant on tape the reported use of the white pole, (the

so-called Second interview) and Defendant explained why he

included the white pole in his written statement.

Agent Moran called the Tribal Police Department to come

to his office so that he could inform them that Defendant had

admitted killing Jess Stevens and to give them the

opportunity to file charges. Defendant was then taken into

tribal custody.

Defendant's mother returned to the office after he was

taken into tribal custody. She was told that Defendant was

responsible for Jess Stevens' death. She responded "Oh".

Agents Moran and Belvado testified that they were unaware

that Defendant had any kind of learning problems or

difficulty in understanding. They testified that he responded

appropriately to questions. Agent Moran had no prior

contacts on the Reservation with Defendant before this

incident.

Photographs were taken at the crime scene.

On cross-examination, Agent Moran acknowledged that he

was aware that Agent Belvado was related in some way to

Defendant. He testified that prior to the December 12

interview, Agent Belvado had advised him that they were

cousins, but they didn't know each other.

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Agent Moran testified that during the interview he told

Defendant that people had "identified him" and that he was

asked to tell his side of the story.

Agent Moran testified that what Defendant said at the

December 12 interview was significantly different from what

he related on December 10 and he noted the differences. This

included the fact that Defendant had not reported any

discussion with the victim about his Uncle's defeat for

councilman and that the victim had upset him in mentioning

that matter.

Agent Moran agreed that he told Defendant several times

during the interview that they had evidence about Defendant's

kicking "Steele" (Stevens), putting him in the fire and using

a log and a pole. Moran acknowledged that at the time of the

December 12 interview he did not have a witness who claimed

to see Defendant actually assault Stevens.

Defendant's counsel called Mrs. Belvado, Defendant's

mother, as a witness at the suppression hearing. Her

testimony did not differ materially with testimony of Agents

Moran and Belvado.

She ultimately testified that she was aware early on that

Defendant was being investigated concerning the death of Jess

Stevens. After denying that she had done so, she admitted

contacting a prospective witness in the case, as well as a

relative of the victim.

Defense counsel called the Defendant as a witness. 

Before he was sworn in, counsel withdrew him as a witness.

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Defense counsel called Susan Parrish, a Psychologist, who

"evaluated" Defendant on April 12, 2005. The results of her

evaluation are set forth in a letter to Attorney Juarez under

date of April 25, 2005. (Exh. 56). She was cross-examined by

Government counsel, with a time to continue the crossexamination, to be scheduled at a later date. (Tr. p. 32).

Defendant's Motion to Continue the Evidentiary Hearing

(Dkt. 79) was denied as moot May 10, 2006, the parties having

agreed to submit the Motion to Suppress on the record and

without a continued evidentiary hearing. (Order dated May 10,

2005). (Dkt. 87).

Looking at the totality of circumstances preceding

Defendant's Tribal arrest on December 12, 2004, the Court

finds that Defendant's statements were not coerced either by

"physical intimidation or psychological pressure."

The Court has considered the following factors in

reaching its finding that the statements made by Defendant on

December 12, 2004, were voluntary and there was no coercive

conduct:

(1) His date of birth is November 3, 1984. He was 20

years of age December 9, 2004;

(2) He attended (bused daily)to Liberty High School in

Globe, a public school off of the reservation, for

two years and graduated there; he played on the High

School football team; he graduated from the Eighth

grade at a BIA school at San Carlos;

(3) He was in special education programs for some period

of time; he was a slow learner, and was absent on

occasion;

(4) He knew how to drive a car; he did not have a

driver's license and was not allowed to drive a

family vehicle;

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(5) He probably drank with his friends; he was not

allowed to drink at home;

(6) He was advised of his constitutional rights; he was

not restrained or threatened in any manner;

(7) The time for the interview(s) on December 12, 2004,

including the time for Defendant to write his

statement, covered approximately an hour and a half;

(8) The interview room was not cramped or coercive;

(9) Agent Moran conducted the interviews and Agent

Belvado sat in a chair behind Defendant; it was not

a prolonged questioning; a third agent sat in the

room for a part of the time while Defendant wrote

out his statement;

(10) There was no threat of physical punishment or

deprivation of food.

During the Suppression Hearing Defendant's counsel called

Susan Parrish, a Psychologist, to testify concerning her

evaluation of Defendant on April 12, 2005 (her written report

is dated April 25, 2005), and her opinion with respect to

"susceptibility." The Court finds that Dr. Parrish's

testimony does not provide a basis for suppressing

Defendant's voluntary statements.

The admission of any evaluations or opinions by Dr.

Parrish will be determined at the time of trial. See: U.S. v.

Newman, 849 F.2d 156, 163, (5th Cir. 1988).

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED denying Defendant's Motion to Suppress.

(Dkt. 27).

DATED this 2nd day of June, 2006.

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