Case Name: STATE of Louisiana, Appellee v. Roy Lee WILLIAMS, Appellant
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 2007-08-15
Citations: 965 So. 2d 541
Docket Number: No. 42,312-KA
Parties: STATE of Louisiana, Appellee v. Roy Lee WILLIAMS, Appellant.
Judges: Before WILLIAMS, DREW and LOLLEY, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 965
Pages: 541–559

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana, Appellee v. Roy Lee WILLIAMS, Appellant.
No. 42,312-KA.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.
Aug. 15, 2007.
Opinion on Rehearing Oct. 1, 2007.
Capital Assistance Project of LA, Inc. by Richard C. Goorley, Ansel M. Stroud, III, Elton B. Richey, Jr., Shreveport, Louisiana Appellate Project by Peggy J. Sullivan, Monroe, Daryl Gold, Shreveport, for Appellant.
Roy Lee Williams, pro se.
Harry J. Morel, Jr., District Attorney, Kim K. McElwee, Assistant District Attorney, for Appellee.
Before WILLIAMS, DREW and LOLLEY, JJ.

Opinion:
WILLIAMS, Judge.
h The defendant, Roy Lee Williams, was charged by grand jury indictment with first degree murder, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30, and aggravated kidnapping, a violation of LSA-R.S. 14:44. The defendant entered a plea of guilty to first degree murder, reserving the right to appeal certain pretrial issues pursuant to State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La.1976). In return, the state dismissed the remaining charge and agreed to the imposition of a life sentence, reserving the right to seek the death penalty pending the outcome of this appeal. The district court sentenced defendant to serve life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Defendant appeals his conviction. For the following reasons, we reverse, grant the motion to suppress, vacate the guilty plea and sentence and remand.
FACTS
Mrs. Avis Foster, age 73, was kidnapped from her Coushatta home in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 1, 2004. Her vehicle was stolen and her body was found abandoned in Natchitoch-es. The victim had been beaten, raped and strangled.
On Tuesday, February 3, 2004, (then Captain, later Chief Deputy) Tracy Scott of the Red River Parish Sheriffs Office received information that the victim's vehicle was located in Alexandria. Captain Scott and Travis Trammell (Chief of Criminal Investigations, Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Office), who had been jointly assigned to handle the Foster murder investigation, drove to Alexandria to recover the vehicle in furtherance of their investigation. The vehicle's driver, in a subsequent interview, told | apoIice that he rented the car from a person who was later identified as the defendant. Having devel oped the defendant as a suspect, Captain Scott secured a copy of a parole violation warrant issued for defendant in December 2003. Cpt. Scott requested Rapides authorities to arrest defendant on the outstanding parole warrant. Shortly after 9:00 p.m. that evening, defendant was arrested by Alexandria Police Corporal Carla Whitstine and transported to the police department, where Cpt. Scott and Chief Trammell met with the defendant at approximately 9:25 p.m.
At the initial interview, Chief Trammell advised defendant of his Miranda rights both orally and in writing. Scott and Trammell explained that they were investigating the missing vehicle and murder of Mrs. Foster. The defendant refused to waive his rights, and said he needed to talk to a lawyer. At that point, the investigators stopped questioning defendant. Cpl. Whitstine then transferred defendant to the Rapides Parish Jail, booking him on the parole violation warrant. Cpl. Whitst-ine advised defendant of his Miranda rights at the jail, but did not ask him any questions. At midnight, the defendant was transferred to the Natchitoches Detention Center.
On February 4, 2004, the district court issued a warrant for defendant's arrest for unauthorized use of Mrs. Foster's motor vehicle. At 3:30 p.m. that afternoon, Red River Parish Detective Johnny Taylor, accompanied by Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones, served the arrest warrant on defendant at the Natchitoches Detention Center. Detective Taylor, who knew defendant personally, stated that they were there to arrest him for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. After Det. Taylor read | defendant his Miranda rights the defendant signed the "Waiver of Rights" form. Sheriff Jones then told defendant that if he wanted to talk with Taylor he needed to make a written request. Defendant prepared a handwritten request to "see Johnny Taylor." Defendant then admitted taking Mrs. Foster's car, but denied any involvement in her murder. This statement was not recorded and neither Jones nor Taylor took notes. When Sheriff Jones asked defendant if he would give a written or recorded statement, the defendant responded that he probably would, but only in the presence of an attorney. After this second request for counsel, the interrogation ended.
The next day, February 5, 2004, Louisiana Parole Officer Alvie Myers visited defendant at the Natchitoches Detention Center to serve notice of a preliminary hearing and to advise defendant of the parole violation charges against him. When Myers entered the room, defendant said he wanted to talk about his "situation." Officer Myers explained that he needed to complete the administrative paperwork first, and then they could talk. After advising defendant of his parole revocation rights and completing the paperwork, Myers asked if he still wanted to talk. When defendant said yes, Myers stated that he first needed to advise defendant of his rights and have him sign an advice of rights form. Myers read defendant his Miranda rights and defendant signed a waiver of the rights. Defendant then gave a statement that was factually consistent with the statement he had given to Detective Taylor and Sheriff Jones the previous day.
Defendant then asked Myers if he could speak with Sheriff Jones, who was standing just outside the room. After conferring with Sheriff |4Jones, Myers told defendant that he would need to make a written request before Jones would talk with him. The defendant complied with this instruction and a short time later Sheriff Jones met with him. After being Mirandized, defendant made another state ment consistent with his prior statements. When Jones asked if he would give a written or recorded statement defendant replied that he probably would, but only with a lawyer. After this third request for an attorney, the interview was terminated.
On February 13, 2004, the defendant was still in custody at the Natchitoches Detention Center without having seen an attorney or being brought before a judge. On that date, Michael Wilson (Assistant Chief Investigator of the Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Office) was at the jail and stopped at defendant's cell ostensibly to speak with another inmate. While Wilson was there, defendant asked if he could also speak with him. However, Wilson said defendant needed to make a request in writing.
After receiving the defendant's written request, Wilson met with him on February 18, 2004. More than two weeks after his arrest and his first request for a lawyer, the defendant still had not been to court or seen an attorney. Wilson advised defendant of his Miranda rights, which he waived. Defendant made yet another statement consistent with all of his prior statements (i.e., he admitted going to the Foster residence and taking her car, but denied killing her). When defendant said he would like to talk further but wanted to speak with an attorney first, the interrogation ceased. On February 24, 2004, Asst. Chief Wilson arrested defendant for first degree murder pursuant to a warrant. Wilson advised defendant of his | ¡Miranda rights and defendant chose not to give a statement at that time.
The first hearing of any kind in this matter was held on February 26, 2004. The record indicates that it was a "72-hour hearing" relating to the first degree murder charge. Although there was a notation on the Hearing Report stating "appoint attorney," there is no documentation that shows the appointment of a lawyer until March 10, 2004, when the Capital Assistance Project of Louisiana was appointed as counsel.
On March 22, 2004, Paula Allen (the mother of defendant's child) spoke with Det. Taylor at the Red River Parish Sheriffs Office, informing him that she had recently visited with defendant and he wanted to talk. Taylor told Allen that defendant would need to make a written request for him to do so. After receiving defendant's written request, Det. Taylor met with him on March 23, 2004. Det. Taylor advised defendant of his Miranda rights, which defendant agreed to waive. After some "small talk," Taylor asked defendant if he had spoken with an attorney. Defendant said he had talked with a lawyer. Taylor then told defendant that he was in a lot of trouble and that the state would seek the death penalty. According to Taylor, the defendant stated that God had forgiven him. When Det. Taylor asked defendant to explain what happened between the time defendant left in Mrs. Foster's vehicle until the next morning, he did not answer. . Taylor stated that this interview was not recorded, that he did not take any notes and that he later prepared a report based on his memory of the interview.
Defendant was indicted for first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. In October 2004, defendant filed a motion to suppress his | ¿inculpatory statements. After a hearing, the district court denied defendant's motion, finding that defendant was advised of his Miranda rights before each of the challenged statements, that before giving each statement defendant had made a written request to speak with law enforcement officials and that the statements were free and voluntary.
Subsequently, the defendant entered a Crosby plea of guilty to the first degree murder charge. The aggravated kidnapping charge was dismissed and he was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. Defendant appeals, asserting as error the denial of his motion to suppress, the failure to have a 72-hour hearing, and the untimely appointment of counsel.
DISCUSSION
In two assignments of error, the defendant contends the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress all statements made to police after invoking his right to counsel. Defendant argues that his constitutional rights were violated when police interrogated him on five occasions without the benefit of counsel despite his request to see an attorney when he initially spoke with investigators.
The state has the burden of proving that a statement given by a defendant was freely and voluntarily made, not the product of threats, promises, coercion or intimidation. LSA-R.S. 15:451; State v. Hohn, 95-2612 (La.App. 4th Cir.1/19/96), 668 So.2d 454. To establish the admissibility of a statement made by an accused in custodial interrogation, the state must prove that the accused was advised of his Miranda rights and 17that he waived these rights prior to interrogation. State v. Hohn, supra.
Regarding requests for counsel, the Louisiana Supreme Court stated in State v. Hobley, 98-2460 (La.12/15/99), 752 So.2d 771, 788, cert. denied, 581 U.S. 889, 121 S.Ct. 102, 148 L.Ed.2d 61 (2000):
[0]nce a suspect in custody expresses a desire, at any stage in the process, to deal with the police only through counsel, all questioning must cease, and the accused may not be subject to further interrogation until counsel has been made available to him, unless he initiates further communication, exchanges or conversation with the police and validly waives his earlier request for counsel. Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 484-85, 101 S.Ct. 1880, 1885, 68 L.Ed.2d 378 (1981); Miranda, 384 U.S. at 444-45, 86 S.Ct. at 1612. Miranda and Edwards are prophylactic rules designed to protect an accused against the inherently compelling pressures of custodial interrogation, whether by police badgering, overreaching or subtle but repeated efforts to wear down an accused's resistance and make him change his mind. Oregon v. Bradshaw, 462 U.S. 1039, 1044, 103 S.Ct. 2830, 2834, 77 L.Ed.2d 405 (1983). Minnick v. Mississippi, 498 U.S. 146, 111 S.Ct. 486, 112 L.Ed.2d 489 (1990), reaffirmed Edwards, stating that "when counsel is requested, interrogation must cease; and officials may not reinitiate interrogation without counsel present, whether or not the accused has consulted with his attorney." Id. at 153, 111 S.Ct. at 491. Louisiana adheres to these same principles. When an accused invokes his right to counsel, the admissibility of a subsequent confession or incriminating statement is determined by a two-step inquiry: 1) did the accused initiate further conversation or communication; and 2) was the purported waiver of counsel knowing and intelligent under the totality of the circumstances. State v. Abadie, 612 So.2d 1, 5 (La.1993).
When an accused asks for counsel, a valid waiver of that right cannot be established by showing only that he responded to further police-initiated, custodial interrogation even if he has been advised of his rights. Hohn, supra. The validity of a waiver of rights is determined on a case-by-case basis under the totality of the circumstances. State v. Coston, 98-0470 (La. App. 4th Cir.9/16/98), 720 So.2d 714. Moreover, the Edwards rule is not |soffense specific; once a suspect invokes the Miranda right to counsel for interrogation regarding one offense, he may not be re-approached regarding any offense unless counsel is present. Abadie, supra.
In the present case, the record shows that defendant invoked his right to counsel during the February 3, 2004 interrogation. Thereafter, the police approached defendant in connection with the criminal investigation without his counsel present. This case raises the issue of whether defendant initiated further communication with investigators before they interrogated him in the absence of counsel.
On February 4, 2004, Det. Taylor and Sheriff Jones approached defendant regarding the Foster murder investigation. Although the investigators purportedly contacted the defendant only to serve a warrant for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, once the defendant invoked his Miranda right to counsel for interrogation for one offense, he could not be further approached regarding any other offense without counsel present. Despite defendant's earlier request for an attorney, the investigators initiated an investigatory encounter with defendant in the absence of counsel. Thus, the state could not establish a valid waiver of Miranda rights by defendant, who was responding to police-initiated custodial interrogation.
Similarly, on February 5, 2004, a state probation officer, Alvie Myers, contacted defendant regarding the parole violation charges and important procedural rights of defendant in connection with parole revocation. This meeting, which took place in the absence of counsel, elicited another | [¡statement from defendant and generated his written request to speak with Sheriff Jones. Contrary to the state's contention, defendant's handwritten note was not an initiation of communication with police, but resulted from the state's re-approach during its continuing investigation. Additionally, during the interview defendant repeated his request for an attorney.
Nor did defendant initiate the final two police interviews conducted without the benefit of counsel. On each of these occasions the defendant wrote a "request" to speak with police in response to the instructions of investigators who failed to provide defendant with an attorney and refused to communicate with him by any other method. For example, when Asst. Chief Wilson appeared at his cell on February 13, 2004, defendant still had not seen an attorney despite three previous requests. Wilson instructed the defendant to submit a written note before speaking with him about any matter. At the subsequent meeting, defendant made his fourth request for an attorney after giving a statement.
The circumstances surrounding defendant's March 23, 2004 interview are not clear from the testimony of Det. Taylor, who stated that he was told by Paula Allen that defendant wanted to see him. However, Taylor testified that Sheriff Jones called the Natchitoches Detention Center to instruct defendant to make a written request if he wanted to see Taylor, who knew defendant personally. Thus, defendant's written note was not a spontaneous initiation of communication with police, since it was only after Sheriff Jones re-approached defendant through the phone call, thereby reinitiating the communication and investigation in the absence of counsel and without a |10break in custody, that defendant asked to see Det. Taylor.
The evidence presented indicates that in each of the foregoing situations, an investigatory encounter was in progress before defendant responded by writing a note seeking to speak with a certain officer. Thus, defendant did not initiate or reopen the interrogation. The protections afford ed in Edwards would be rendered meaningless if government agents were permitted to reinitiate interrogation after the request for counsel and then claim that the consequent response by defendant represented "initiation" permitting a waiver of the asserted counsel right. Abadie, supra. In addition, the record demonstrates that defendant did not knowingly waive his rights, since on several occasions he repeated his request for an attorney only minutes after signing a form that stated he did not want a lawyer.
After considering the totality of the circumstances of this particular case and applying the principles of Edwards and Aba-die, we must conclude that although the police interrogation stopped after defendant's initial request for counsel, the investigators reinitiated the custodial interrogation without counsel present on a number of occasions. Thus, defendant's subsequent requests to talk could not have started the police-initiated interrogation that was already in progress at the time.
Consequently, the statements made by defendant during the interviews conducted in the absence of counsel did not amount to a valid waiver and should have been suppressed as inadmissible evidence. Accordingly, we shall reverse the district court's denial of defendant's Inmotion to suppress and vacate the guilty plea and sentence. In reaching this result, we pre-termit discussion of defendant's remaining assignment of error.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the district court's denial of the motion to suppress defendant's statements is reversed and the motion is hereby granted. The guilty plea is vacated, the sentence is set aside and this case is remanded for further proceedings.
REVERSED; MOTION TO SUPPRESS GRANTED; GUILTY PLEA AND SENTENCE VACATED; REMANDED.
DREW, J., dissents with written reasons.