Opinion ID: 2508499
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Low Intellect and Anxiety as Circumstances

Text: Lastly, Swanigan argues his low intellect and his susceptibility to being overcome by anxiety should be considered in the totality of the circumstances as we examine the voluntariness of his confession. See State v. Lane, 262 Kan. 373, 386, 940 P.2d 422 (1997) (mental condition is only one factor). He also cites Crane v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 683, 687, 90 L. Ed. 2d 636, 106 S. Ct. 2142 (1986): It is by now well-established that `certain interrogation techniques, either in isolation, or as applied to the unique characteristics of a particular suspect, are so offensive to a civilized system of justice that they must be condemned under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.' (Emphasis added.) We agree with Swanigan that these factors should be considered. See State v. Mays, 277 Kan. 359, 374, 376, 85 P.3d 1208 (2004) (verbal IQ of 77); Lane, 262 Kan. at 386 (IQ of 77); Aguilar v. State, 106 N.M. at 800 (expert witness testimony that interrogation was stressful on suspect, possibly causing him to act impulsively). As noted previously, the trial court did not specifically assess Swanigan's IQ of 76 as a factor in the voluntariness determination. Nor did the court consider his psychological state during the interrogation, finding only that it was insufficient to make the police interrogation improper at all. Our review of the record, including the audiotape of the October 31 interrogation, discloses that Swanigan's relatively low IQ and his susceptibility to being overcome by anxiety played a part in his alternating denials and confessions (which themselves varied considerably). His confession began to unravel for the last time when the robber in the photo was wearing the wrong clothes. Swanigan then admitted his prior details about the robbery had come solely from the officers, claimed they had forced him to falsely admit he committed the robbery, and when Lanham denied forcing him, he explained, When I try to tell you the truth you guys say it's me.