Opinion ID: 2625941
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The statements at trial

Text: ¶ 32 Defendant conceded the admissibility of any statements he made to L.C. before July 22, the day he was read his Miranda rights and questioned by Detective Daily, but he moved to suppress any statements made after he was re-arrested on August 31. The trial court granted the motion and suppressed statements Defendant made to L.C. after August 31, 1997, on the ground that L.C. was acting as an agent for the State. The court also found, however, that Defendant's statements were voluntarily made and that there was no evidence that [Defendant's statements] were in any way the result of any coercion, threats, pressure, promises, et cetera. ¶ 33 Before L.C. testified at trial, he was instructed that he could testify only about conversations he had with Defendant before August 31, 1997. During L.C.'s testimony, Defendant objected and moved for a mistrial, claiming that L.C. testified to statements Defendant made after August 31, 1997, in violation of the court's instructions. The trial court denied the motion, stating that Defendant could cross-examine L.C. about when he heard the various statements. ¶ 34 During cross-examination of L.C., the State stipulated that L.C. testified regarding some matters not included in the July 29 and 31 interviews. On re-direct, L.C. claimed he had known that information but held it back during the first two interviews. ¶ 35 The trial court considered additional arguments and briefing on whether Defendant's Fifth Amendment Miranda rights were violated. On September 2, 1999, relying on Illinois v. Perkins, 496 U.S. 292, 110 S.Ct. 2394, 110 L.Ed.2d 243 (1990), the trial court reversed its previous ruling and held that admitting into evidence Defendant's conversations with to L.C. occurring after August 31, 1997, did not violate Defendant's Fifth Amendment rights. The court found that, as in Perkins, admission into evidence of jailhouse admissions made by an uncharged defendant to [an informant] did not violate his applicable Fifth Amendment Miranda rights. [7] The court reaffirmed its finding that there was no evidence that [Defendant's statements to L.C.] were induced by or the result of any coercion, threats, pressure or promises of any sort, direct or indirect[,] by [L.C.]. ¶ 36 The trial court also found that, at the time of Defendant's incarceration for the assault, his Sixth Amendment right to counsel was not violated because Defendant had not been charged with any crimes relating to the disappearance of Ted Lindberry and therefore Defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel had not attached. See Maine v. Moulton, 474 U.S. 159, 180, 106 S.Ct. 477, 489, 88 L.Ed.2d 481 (1985) (stating that to exclude evidence pertaining to charges as to which the Sixth Amendment right to counsel had not attached at the time the evidence was obtained, simply because other charges were pending at that time, would unnecessarily frustrate the public's interest in the investigation of criminal activities); State v. Hitch, 160 Ariz. 297, 299-301, 772 P.2d 1150, 1152-54 (App.1989).