Opinion ID: 1142334
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: motion to suppress defendant's second confession

Text: The defendant argues, that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his second confession. [14] The following evidence was adduced at the suppression hearing. The defendant was arrested at approximately 10:00 p.m. on the day the shooting (March 27, 1991), by Baton Rouge Narcotics Officers, Frank Caruso and Thomas Smith, while they were working extra detail assisting the armed robbery detectives. He was charged with attempted first degree murder and armed robbery. The officers orally Mirandized the defendant when they arrested him, and he did not request to speak with an attorney at that time. The officers took the defendant to the station. They then telephoned Darryl Rice, the armed robbery detective assigned to the case, to inform him of the arrest. Rice, who was off-duty, advised that he would arrive shortly. During the interim, Officers Caruso advised the defendant of his rights on a written Miranda form. Officer Caruso read the form to the defendant. However, the defendant refused to sign the waiver acknowledgment because he feared that this would be an admission of guilt. Officer Caruso then read the form to the defendant numerous times and attempted to explain to him that signing it would not constitute an admission of guilt. At this point, Officer Caruso asked the defendant if he wished for him to check the box on the form which read, Prefers to speak with an attorney before making decision. The defendant nodded affirmatively. Officer Caruso testified that he checked this box because he thought it was in the defendant's best interest. Officer Caruso then terminated the session, and turned the defendant over to Detective Rice when he arrived at about 11:00 p.m. Officer Caruso did not inform Detective Rice of the waiver form. In fact, Detective Rice did not become aware of the rights form until the next morning. After Detective Rice's partner arrived, he advised the defendant of his rights using a second written Miranda form. Detective Rice read each right separately, asked the defendant if he understood, and checked each right after the defendant acknowledged his comprehension. The defendant did not indicate that he had previously requested a lawyer, and did not make a separate request for representation. When Detective Rice asked the defendant to sign the waiver acknowledgment blank on the form, the defendant hesitated because he thought that this was an admission of guilt. However, he did sign the form after Detective Rice explained the procedure to him several times. The defendant then confessed to the shooting, and told the officers that he had thrown the gun into the Mississippi River. He also helped them search for the stolen money which he had hidden in an empty lot near his apartment. However, it was too muddy and dark on that evening, and they discontinued the search until the next morning. On the morning of March 28, 1991, the defendant was arraigned, bond was set and the Public Defender's Office was appointed to represent him. The same morning, Detective Rice went to the jail to take the defendant to look for the money. At that time, a letter from the defendant's attorney was presented to Detective Rice advising that the defendant should not speak to law enforcement officers without consulting his attorney. Detective Rice left without discussing the case with the defendant. The police discovered the money later that morning in the location described by the defendant without further assistance from him. On March 29, 1991, Ponsano died and Detective Rice went to the jail to upgrade the charges to first degree murder. Again, the defendant was advised of his rights. The defendant then expressed his desire to speak to Detective Rice, whereupon the officer warned him that he could not speak with him and that it would be in his best interest to speak with his lawyer before making a statement. The defendant responded by stating that his lawyer could not help him, and that he wanted to make a statement. He then confessed to the killing. The defense moved to suppress both confessions and the money, arguing that they were illegally obtained in violation of the defendant's state and federal constitutional rights. U.S. Const. amend. V and VI; La. Const. art. I, § 13. After a hearing, the trial court suppressed the first confession, finding that the defendant had invoked his right to counsel during his session with Detective Caruso. The trial court also suppressed the money finding that it was discovered as a direct result of the illegally obtained confession. The trial court declared the second confession admissible, finding that it was unsolicited. The defendant argues that the trial court erred in finding the second confession admissible because it was taken in violation of his right to counsel under U.S. Const. amends. V and VI, and under La. Const. art. I, § 13. [15] Assuming, but not deciding, that the confession was inadmissible, any possible error was harmless. [16] When viewed in light of the other testimony and evidence presented at the trial, it is clear that the jury's decision of guilt was surely unattributable to the error. Johnson, 94-1379 at p. 14, 664 So.2d at 100. The defendant admitted guilt during voir dire, and continually reminded the jury of this concession throughout the trial. Additionally, defense counsel elicited details from the first confession despite the fact that the trial court had suppressed it. Furthermore, one of the victims, Clark, who knew the defendant well, testified in detail about the crime and unequivocally implicated the defendant. Finally, Clark's testimony was corroborated by that of another Cajun's employee, Viola Kaglear. Kaglear also added testimony relating to events occurring after the shooting, namely, that she saw the defendant leaving the restaurant, and placing items into his car. Under these circumstances, any possible error created by the admission of the second confession was harmless, and does not warrant reversal of the conviction and sentence.