Opinion ID: 1922618
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Administration of Miranda Rights and Lockhart's Waivers

Text: [¶ 15] Lockhart contends that the motion court erred in denying his motion to suppress the December 11 and 12 statements that he made to various officers. A court's denial of a motion to suppress is reviewed in two different ways: the factual findings made by the trial court for clear error, and de novo for issues of law and for the ultimate determination of whether the statement should be suppressed. State v. Higgins, 2002 ME 77, ¶ 13, 796 A.2d 50, 55; State v. Forsyth, 2002 ME 75, ¶ 9, 795 A.2d 66, 69. A person subject to interrogation while in police custody must first be given a Miranda warning, otherwise statements made in the course of the interrogation will not be admissible against that person. State v. Holloway, 2000 ME 172, ¶ 13, 760 A.2d 223, 228.
[¶ 16] Lockhart contends that the Superior Court erred by failing to suppress the statements he made in response to the officers' four questions prior to being administered the Miranda warnings at the Southwest Harbor Police Station. [2] Lockhart arrived at the police station on his own initiative around 9:45 p.m. in a hysterical state, repeatedly saying that he thought he had killed his wife and that he had killed her. During the next two hours, before Detective Pickering arrived at the station and administered Miranda warnings, the officers asked Lockhart four questions. [¶ 17] Lockhart asserts that because an armed police officer was with him at all times and he was not free to leave during the two-hour period of time in question, the interrogation was custodial and he should have been administered Miranda warnings. The State responds that because Lockhart voluntarily went to the police station and knew that he was free to leave, he was not in custody. In support of the questioning not being custodial, the State points out that only four questions were asked over the two-hour period, three of which pertained to Andrea's whereabouts. A suspect who is not formally arrested is subjected to a custodial interrogation if the suspect's freedom of movement has been restrained to the degree associated with a formal arrest. Higgins, 2002 ME 77, ¶ 12, 796 A.2d at 54 (internal quotations omitted). [¶ 18] We do not reach the question of whether Lockhart was subjected to a custodial interrogation during the initial period at the police station because the four questions Lockhart was asked fall within the administrative and public safety questions exceptions to Miranda. Whether a suspect is in custody or not, an officer is permitted to ask questions to identify the suspect, check [his or] her identification and resolve any health or safety concerns regarding the suspect or others. State v. Griffin, 2003 ME 13, ¶ 9, 814 A.2d 1003, 1005; State v. White, 619 A.2d 92, 94 (Me.1993) (stating that the trial court's decision that to the extent the police sought information on the location of the victim, [the suspect's] statements were within the public safety exception was not clearly erroneous). When a statement at issue is made in response to a question designed to learn something more than biographical data, some other justification for the question leading to [the suspect's statement] must be identified. Griffin, 2003 ME 13, ¶ 10, 814 A.2d at 1005. [¶ 19] Here, the first question Lockhart was asked by Officer Murphy was for the purpose of learning his identity. The second and third questions asked by Officer Murphy and the fourth question asked by Chief Tims were for the purpose of determining the whereabouts and welfare of Andrea. Because Andrea had previously been reported missing by her sister and Andrea's boyfriend, the police were justified in asking Lockhart questions specifically intended to assist them in locating her. We conclude that the court did not err by refusing to suppress Lockhart's responses to these four questions.
[¶ 20] Lockhart contends the court should have suppressed the statements that he made to Detective Pickering at the Southwest Harbor Police Station on December 11 after being read his Miranda rights because he was too hysterical, too unstable, and in too much pain at that time to be capable of knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waiving his right to counsel and his right to remain silent. In addition, Lockhart contends that Detective Pickering ignored his statements that he did not want to be questioned and did not want to talk. The State responds that Lockhart did not invoke his right to remain silent and that his distraught state and headache during the interrogation do not compel a finding that he acted involuntarily in waiving his rights. [¶ 21] Although the suppression court's factual findings are reviewed for clear error, the issue of whether rights under Miranda have been knowingly and intelligently waived is reviewed de novo. State v. Coombs, 1998 ME 1, ¶¶ 13, 15, 704 A.2d 387, 391-92. The State bears the burden of establishing a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of Miranda rights by a preponderance of the evidence. Id. ¶ 15, 704 A.2d at 392. In order for a warned person to assert his or her right to terminate the interrogation, the person must sufficiently and clearly articulate a desire to terminate the interrogation so that `a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement' to be a retraction of a waiver and a reassertion of the right to remain silent. State v. King, 1998 ME 60, ¶ 9, 708 A.2d 1014, 1017 (quoting Davis v. United States, 512 U.S. 452, 459, 114 S.Ct. 2350, 129 L.Ed.2d 362 (1994)). While an individual need not explicitly waive his or her Miranda rights, his or her conduct must demonstrate an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of known rights. Coombs, 1998 ME 1, ¶¶ 6, 15-16, 704 A.2d at 389, 392 (affirming the court's conclusion that the suspect made a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of her Miranda rights even though she was crying because the suspect stated that she understood her rights, did not request counsel, and told the officer that she was willing to answer any questions). [¶ 22] Lockhart's responses to Detective Pickering's questions demonstrated that he understood each of the five Miranda rights. When the detective asked, Now having all those rights which I just explained to you in mind, do you wish to answer questions at this time? Lockhart responded, Please, if I can. Although Lockhart sobbed, made a variety of noises, and, at times, appeared to be hysterical and distraught during the interrogation, he nevertheless answered Detective Pickering's questions in a responsive, understandable, and seemingly intelligent manner. An individual's intermittent demonstration of hysteria does not automatically render any statements he or she makes involuntary, particularly when, as here, there is no indication that hysteria was exhibited during the times Lockhart made specific statements which he seeks to suppress. [¶ 23] While several of Lockhart's responses to Detective Pickering's questionsfor example, I don't know, I can't do this, I can't, don't ask, don't, and I want to go to sleepcould be interpreted as suggesting a desire to terminate the interrogation, they were made in direct response to Pickering's questions and are reasonably understood to express Lockhart's internal conflict and pain in being asked to recount what had happened. Once Lockhart asked for medical assistance, Detective Pickering immediately terminated the interrogation and transported him to the hospital. [¶ 24] Accordingly, the motion court did not err in concluding that Lockhart's waiver of his Miranda rights was made knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily and that he failed to articulate a clear desire to discontinue the interrogation.
[¶ 25] At the hospital, Lockhart stated to Detective Pickering I guess he doesn't know what I'm here for, in response to a CAT scan technician's comment to Detective Pickering that at one time the technician hated all women. Lockhart contends that the court should have suppressed this unsolicited remark because he had not been re-read his Miranda rights following the conclusion of the interrogation at the police station. Because Lockhart's statement was made neither in response to a question from an officer, nor during an interrogation, it is not the product of custodial interrogation. Thus, the re-administration of Miranda was not required as a predicate to the subsequent admission of the statement at trial.
[¶ 26] Lockhart contends that the court should have suppressed the statements he made to Detective Pickering on the afternoon of December 12 at the Hancock County Jail because the detective failed to terminate his questioning once Lockhart invoked, albeit ambiguously, his right to counsel before the administration of the Miranda warnings. [3] The State responds that Lockhart's right to counsel was fully satisfied when Detective Pickering first told him that it was up to him to decide whether to answer questions before speaking with a lawyer and then reinformed Lockhart of his right to counsel. [¶ 27] When an individual has not yet made a valid waiver of the Miranda rights and invokes, even ambiguously, the right to remain silent or the right to an attorney, he or she has invoked the Miranda rights. Holloway, 2000 ME 172, ¶¶ 7, 12, 760 A.2d at 226, 228 (vacating the murder conviction because two detectives improperly continued to question an unwarned suspect after he repeatedly stated that he had said everything he had to say, refused to answer some of their questions, and asked to end the interrogation so he could contact an attorney). [¶ 28] Detective Pickering testified that prior to administering the Miranda warnings at the jail, Lockhart stated that he would admit to what he did, and asked if the detective thought Lockhart needed a lawyer. The detective responded that he could not make that decision for Lockhart and instead would read him his Miranda rights again, and Lockhart could decide. Unlike the officers' response in Holloway of ignoring an unwarned suspect's numerous requests, Detective Pickering properly responded that he could not decide whether Lockhart needed a lawyer, and then administered the Miranda warnings and asked Lockhart to demonstrate his understanding of each right. Pickering then asked Lockhart: Now, having all those rights which I just explained to you in mind, do you wish to answer questions at this time? and Lockhart answered: I will try to. Lockhart's question as to whether Detective Pickering thought he needed a lawyer was just that, a question, and the detective properly answered it. Neither the question, nor the exchange between the detective and Lockhart that followed, served to invoke Lockhart's right to an attorney.