Case Name: State of Iowa, appellee, v. John Wayne Davis, appellant
Court: Iowa Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Iowa
Decision Date: 1968-04-09
Citations: 261 Iowa 1351
Docket Number: No. 52763
Parties: State of Iowa, appellee, v. John Wayne Davis, appellant.
Judges: All Justices concur except Becker, Mason and Rawlings, JJ., who dissent.
Reporter: Iowa Reports
Volume: 261
Pages: 1351–1362

Head Matter:
State of Iowa, appellee, v. John Wayne Davis, appellant.
No. 52763.
(Reported in 157 N.W.2d 907)
April 9, 1968.
Everett PL Albers, of Des Moines, for appellant.
Richard C. Turner, Attorney General, David A. Elderkin, Assistant Attorney General, and Ray A. Fenton, County Attorney, for appellee.

Opinion:
Larson, J.
On May 23, 1967, the Polk County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging the defendant, John Wayne Davis, with the crime of breaking and entering as defined in section 708.8 of the 1966 Code of Iowa. Subsequent to a plea of not guilty, trial was had by jury-resulting in a verdict of guilty. The defendant was sentenced to not more than ten yeai's in prison in the Men's Reformatory at Anamosa, Iowa'. He appeals.
Acting upon a radio dispatch that a breaking and entering was in progress at Jay's Bakery in Des Moines, Iowa, several Des Moines policemen -went to the bakery to investigate. Upon their arrival about 2:30. a.m. on April 14, 1967, they found one party in the bakery and the defendant crouched on the roof near the edge of the skylight on top of the building. Officer Dickerson told the defendant to stand up with his hands in the air and to come down off - the building. He and Officer Warrick then handcuffed him-and took him to the front of the bakery where "he- was advised of his rights" by Lieutenant Burns in the presence and hearing of several officers.
Officer Warrick testified that "Lieutenant Burns advised him [the défendant] that he was under arrest and charged with breaking and entering and that he had a right to remain silent and also he had a right to counsel and if he did not have the funds for counsel, the State would provide one." He was "further advised that anything he said could be used against him."
Officer James Collins corroborated that testimony and said the defendant had apparently injured his ankle when he jumped off the roof. Collins was sent to Broadlawns Hospital to guard him while he was being examined by doctors and, while there, had a brief conversation with defendant. It is the admission of this conversational exchange into evidence, over defendant's objection, that provoked this appeal.
In his proposition relied upon for reversal defendant contends, "the trial court committed reversible error in permitting the introduction of admissions made by the defendant into evidence without an affirmative showing that- the defendant waived his right to counsel at the time the admissions were made."
I: It is well settled that when a person is taken into •custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way, before interrogation he must be advised (1) that he has a right to remain silent (2) that anything he might say may be used in evidence against Mm (3) that he has a right to the presence of an attorney, and (4) that if he cannot .afford counsel he. may. have, counsel appointed. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 471, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, State v. Hardesty, 261 Iowa 382, 153 N.W.2d 464. Defendant does not contend the warnings listed above were -not given to him after, his arrest, but argues that the statement made by him was not admissible because the State failed to show at the timé of the statement he was again advised of his rights or that he effectively waived his right .to counsel.
Thus, we are faced with three very interesting questions: (1) Must a person be advised of his constitutional rights more than once? (2) Was defendant's objection to the admission of his statement at the time of trial properly overruled? (3) Did this verbal exchange between the officer and the defendant amount to actual custodial interrogation?
II. An accused need not be advised of his constitutional rights more than once unless the time of warning and the time of subsequent interrogation- are too remote in time from one another. People v. Perrin, 247 Cal. App.2d 838, 55 Cal.Rptr. 847, 850 (1967); People v. Hill, 39 Ill.2d 61, 233 N.E.2d 546 (1968). In the Perrin case defendant was advised of his constitutional rights prior to a morning interrogation by police, but when interrogation was again resumed in the afternoon no admonition of his rights was repeated. The court held there was no evidence that the defendant had wished the interrogation to cease or had indicated so in any manner, and thus the warning in the morning was held to carry over into the afternoon.. :In the Hill case the defendant was arrested and brought- to the precinct station and advised of his constitutional rights-.. He. was. then interrogated, by some officers over a period of several hours. The court held it was not necessary to repeat the warnings at the beginning of each successive interview, particularly where the defendant was interrogated for a relatively short period of time, about three hours in all.
The statement in question was made while defendant was in custody at a hospital, about one and a half hours after the time of his arrest. We think this warning was sufficient.
III. Defendant's next contention concerns the overruling of his objection to the testimony of Officer Collins and his motion to strike the officer's testimony relative to the conversation he had with the defendant at the hospital.
From the transcript furnished, it appears Officer Collins testified he observed two cans of beer and one tire iron on a table in the bakery at the time defendant and another were apprehended. He was then asked, "Now, based upon this observation, could you relate to the jury the conversation you had with the defendant at Broadlawns Hospital?" Before answer, defense counsel said, "The defendant objects, Your Honor. There has been no direct testimony with this particular witness that advised him of his rights or if anyone advised him of his rights or what rights he was advised of and this testimony should be stricken." The objection was overruled and defendant excepted. Counsel then said, "Tell us what the conversation was", and when no further objections or motions were made by defendant the officer said, "Yes, I made reference to the beer that I had seen in Jay's Bakery. I asked him, I said, 'You guys must have been planning on staying for awhile.' I said, 'You had your cold beer with you.' And he said, 'Yes, but we did not have a chance to drink it.' This is about all."
No motion to strike was made at the time. However, at the conclusion of the cross-examination of Officer Collins, defendant's counsel renewed his "objections to the questions propounded by counsel and I would like to request the objection because such questioning was done when the accused was in great pain and which would constitute a form of duress by the questioning of the officer", and asked on those two grounds that the testimony be stricken. This motion was overruled, and we find no other motions relative to this statement in the record, no objection to the court's instructions, and no motion for a new trial.
Under this record the trial court could properly deny both the objection and the motion to strike. The reasons advanced by counsel in support of his specific objection and motion were not sufficient. It is elementary that an objection to offered evidence must be sufficiently specific to advise the trial court why it is inadmissible. Frederick v. Shorman, 259 Iowa 1050, 1060, 147 N.W.2d 478, 485, and citations; State v. Estrella, 257 Iowa 462, 468, 133 N.W.2d 97. When specific objections are made and do not include the reasons argued in appeal, as a general rule the latter will not be considered on appeal. State v. Mabbitt, 257 Iowa 1063, 1066, 135 N.W.2d 525; Masters v. Eide, 353 F.2d 517, and citations; Chester v. People of State of California, 355 F.2d 778, and citations.
The record shows defendant had been properly and timely advised of his rights as announced in Mirhnda at the time he was taken into custody, and there was no objection at the time of defendant's statement on the basis of duress. In fact, this belated idea seems to have come to counsel during- the cross-examination when Officer Collins admitted defendant's foot was swollen and he was advised of the pain by defendant.
We are not convinced the trial court erred in overruling defendant's objection to this testimony. Clearly, it was not premised on a claimed failure of the State to show he he'ard and understood the warnings given. Defendant's argument that this reason was included in his objection and motion to strike has no merit.
It is the State's position that, even if the objection be considered adequate to raise this latter issue, by failing to file a motion to suppress, defendant waived his right to object to the officer's statement at the trial. It refers to the well established rule that, unless a defendant who is forewarned as to the substance of testimony to be offered makes a proper and timely motion to suppress such evidence before trial, any objection to its introduction will be deemed waived. State v. Dwinells, 259 Iowa 945, 950, 146 N.W.2d 231, 234; People v. Ferguson, 376 Mich. 90, 135 N.W.2d 357; Dunek v. District Court of Lee County, 258 Iowa 673, 140 N.W.2d 372.
It appears here that the testimony of Officer Collins objected to was almost identical to that appearing in the' minutes of testimony attached to defendant's grand jury indictment. Defendant was, or should have been, well aware in advance of trial of this testimony, made no motion to suppress it, and failed to make a proper objection to its admission when offered. We recognized this ground of waiver as valid in the recent case of State v. Anderson, 260 Iowa 122, 148 N.W.2d 414, but there we did not ground the decision alone on that somewhat technical basis, nor need;we do so here.
' IV. • The State'argues that Officer Collins' testimony as to his statement and defendant's reply did not violate the Miranda holdings or any other of the United States Supreme Court decisions regarding procedural safeguards against self-incrimination. It points out that the prohibition most often quoted from Miranda v. Arizona, supra, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 1612, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, states that "the prosecution may not use statements;--whether exculpatory or inculpatory, stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the' use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination. By custodial interrogation, we mean questioning' initiated by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way." (Emphasis added.) '
The emphasized words, it says, indicate that the Supreme Court did not intend to include all statements made by one temporarily detained or made in a conversational nature with an officer when not being interrogated in a purposeful manner, and we are inclined to agree.
Courts of various jurisdictions have pointed out that Miranda was concerned with police questioning and interrogation of suspects held in isolated police custody, particularly the incommunicado interrogation of individuals in a police-dominated atmosphere.
In Gaudio v. State, 1 Md.App. 455, 230 A.2d 700, the defendant was arrested for a traffic violation. The arresting officer then observed that the springs of his vehicle were not down although the cargo appeared to be heavy lumber. He then discovered the false back end and concluded in his own mind that "there was a false load on the truck." Taking a fair guess at the contents, he asked defendant if he had cigarettes on the truck and received an affirmative answer. To the question as to the quantity, the defendant told him there were 2000 cartons. Thereafter, defendant consented to a search and, when the cigarettes were found, he was arrested for felonious transportation of untaxed cigarettes. There the above testimony was admitted without objection at the trial, and the Miranda question was raised on the appeal. In holding that decision did not apply to the situation, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals said, although it appears that the procedural safeguards must be employed when (a) an individual is taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom by the authorities, and (b) he is subject to questioning, "In the instant case, we feel that the appellants were not subjected.to questioning within the contemplation of Miranda. We do not think that the evils with which the Court was concerned in Miranda' were present." • It then pointed- out that the defendant was not. held incommunicado in an isolated setting in the privacy of an interrogation room in a police station, and that he was not surrounded by antagonistic forces and subjected to the techniques of persuasion. He was in the presence of one police officer, standing on a public street, and he knew if he posted bond for the traffic charge he could proceed on his way. The court- then said at page 468 of 1 Md. App.: "We see no practice here, such as concerned the Court in Miranda, .requiring assurance that it be eradicated. The compelling atmosphere inherent in the process of in-custody interrogation was not present. We think that the questions by .the trooper as to the cigarettes and the answers by Gaudio did not amount to a .'custodial interrogation' as contemplated by Miranda." The court went on to. say it could not agree that "under any. and all circumstances". Miranda protects the accused, at least to the extent that no inquiry at all by the authorities is permissible without a demonstration by the State that •prior warnings were given. We agree.' Like the Maryland court, we too recognize the rationale of Miranda and share deep concern for justice and desire to render every man, whether innocent or guilty, what is due him. A balance must be maintained which does justice, not only to the accused, but also to society. We subscribe to no interpretation of a rule which tends to thwart rather than secure justice.
In a similar decision the Washington court in State v. Persinger (Wash.), 433 P.2d 867, 868, permitted an officer to testify to a reply he received from a convict accused of attempted escape. To the question as to why he had not followed Moses down the rope, defendant replied that he "was discouraged by the ululation of the dogs and the weaponry of the tower guards." On appeal, defendant contended that the statement was inadmissible because the guard had not prefaced his roof-top inquiry with a Miranda warning. In rejecting that contention the Washington court held the statement was not such as that contemplated by Miranda. It said:
"The casual, lone, and conversational inquiry by the captain of the guards simply did not amount to the type of 'in-custody interrogation' contemplated by the decision in Miranda and/or Escobedo . And, appellant's gratuitous, expletive, and candid reply to the query cannot be characterized as one induced by any form of proscribed intimidation. At best the question and the answer were the products of normal, human, and, spontaneous curiosity on the one hand and chagrin on the other. The trial court did not err in admitting the brief conversation into evidence." (Emphasis added.) Also see Perry v. United States (D.C.App.), 230 A.2d 721.
Here too we find the defendant in the hospital for a foot examination, in the presence of doctors and nurses, not officers in a police-dominated atmosphere. Defendant was not even asked a question, but the officer sent to guard him merely observed in a conversational way that they "must have been planning on staying for awhile. You had your cold beer with you." The defendant responded to the jest and said: "Yes, but we did not have a chance to drink it." We also conclude this was not the circumstance nor type of interrogation contemplated by Miranda, and the statement made by defendant was not inadmissible because the State failed to demonstrate the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination.
V. In any event; this admission of - defendant's statement, even if error, was without prejudice to him. In view of the fact.that he was caught on the premises, the acceptance of evidence as to his admission that he was there would seem to amount to harmless error, and the judgment of the trial court must be affirmed.- — Affirmed. . .
All Justices concur except Becker, Mason and Rawlings, JJ., who dissent.