Opinion ID: 2380494
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Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Admissibility of the Confession

Text: In State v. Ann Marie C., Me., 407 A.2d 715 (1979), this Court adopted the totality of the circumstances test to determine whether a juvenile has knowingly and voluntarily decided to forego his right to remain silent and to have the assistance of counsel. Quoting from the United States Supreme Court decision in Fare v. Michael C., 442 U.S. 707, 99 S.Ct. 2560, 61 L.Ed.2d 197 (1979), we noted: This totality of the circumstances approach is adequate to determine whether there has been a waiver even where interrogation of juveniles is involved. We discern no persuasive reasons why any other approach is required where the question is whether a juvenile has waived his rights, as opposed to whether an adult had done so. The totality approach permits  indeed, it mandates  inquiry into all the circumstances surrounding the interrogation. This includes evaluation of the juvenile's age, experience, education, background, and intelligence, and into whether he had the capacity to understand the warnings given him, the nature of his Fifth Amendment rights, and the consequences of waiving those rights. State v. Ann Marie C., 407 A.2d at 724, quoting Fare v. Michael C., 442 U.S. at 725, 99 S.Ct. at 2572, 61 L.Ed.2d at 212. See State v. Michael L., Me., 441 A.2d 684, 688 (1982). In articulating this standard, the majority in Fare v. Michael C . expressed the belief that juvenile courts are capable of applying the totality of the circumstances analysis so as to take into account the special concerns that are present when juveniles are in custody. Fare v. Michael C., 442 U.S. at 725, 99 S.Ct. at 2572, 61 L.Ed.2d at 212-13. This view, however, has been questioned by commentators and rejected by various jurisdictions in favor of some form of a per se exclusionary rule whenever certain initial safeguards such as the presence of a parent have not been met. See e.g., Conn.Gen. Stat.Ann. § 46b-137(a) (West Supp.1981); Okla.Stat.Ann. tit. 10 § 1109(a) (West Supp. 1979-1980); State ex rel. J. M. v. Taylor, 276 S.E.2d 199 (W.Va.1981); In re Dino, 359 So.2d 586 (La.1978), cert. denied 439 U.S. 1047, 99 S.Ct. 1022, 58 L.Ed.2d 706; Commonwealth v. Smith, 472 Pa. 492, 372 A.2d 797 (1977); Grisso, Juveniles' Capacities to Waive Miranda Rights: An Empirical Analysis, 68 Cal.L.Rev. 1134 (1980); Levy and Skacevic, What Standard Should Be Used To Determine A Valid Juvenile Waiver?, 6 Pepperdine L.Rev. 767 (1979); Comment, The Judicial Response to Juvenile Confessions: An Examination of the Per Se Rule, 17 Duquesne L.Rev. 659 (1978-1979). The parties in this action do not question the vitality of the totality of the circumstances approach in this jurisdiction. We note, however, the superiority of this approach over a per se rule when the traditional test is properly applied. The framework provided by the totality of the circumstances test is sufficiently flexible so as to accommodate the interests of both the juvenile and the State. Liberal application of the rule in favor of juvenile rights, however, is absolutely essential. Objective satisfaction by the State of several of the relevant factors articulated in case law can not substitute for a critical examination of the circumstances surrounding the confession and a sensitive understanding of a juvenile's vulnerability in a custodial atmosphere. The simple balancing of factors can only lead to a cursory appraisal of the juvenile's position thereby threatening the protection of his fundamental constitutional rights. Under the totality of the circumstances approach, no single factor is controlling in determining whether a juvenile has validly waived his rights. The factors noted in Fare v. Michael C ., and State v. Ann Marie C ., are by no means exclusive. [2] The manner in which these factors are to be weighed and evaluated is a matter typically left to the exercise of the sound judgment of the trial judge. Grisso, Juveniles' Capacities to Waive Miranda Rights: An Empirical Analysis, 68 Cal.L.Rev. 1134, 1138 (1980). In appraising these factors, however, courts must never lose sight of the fact that a juvenile's vulnerability and immaturity places him at a greater disadvantage than an adult when dealing with the police. As noted by Justice Fortas in the landmark decision of In Re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1428, 18 L.Ed.2d 527 (1967): [T]he greatest care must be taken to assure that the admission was voluntary, in the sense that it was not coerced or suggested but also that it was not the product of ignorance of rights or of adolescent fantasy, fright or dispair. 387 U.S. at 55, 87 S.Ct. at 1458, 18 L.Ed.2d at 561; see Fare v. Michael C., 442 U.S. at 729, 99 S.Ct. at 2573, 61 L.Ed.2d at 215 (dissenting opinion by Marshall, J.) citing Gallegos v. Colorado, 370 U.S. 49, 54, 82 S.Ct. 1209, 1212, 8 L.Ed.2d 325, 329 (1962) (juvenile cannot be compared with an adult in full possession of his sense and knowledgeable of consequences of his admission) and Haley v. Ohio, 332 U.S. 596, 599, 68 S.Ct. 302, 303, 92 L.Ed. 224, 228 (1948) (child is easy victim of law; cannot be judged by more exacting standards of maturity). In the instant case, the State notes several factors which it asserts supports the District Court's finding of a knowing and voluntary waiver by the juvenile. These are: (1) the reading and explanation of the Miranda warnings, (2) the defendant's statement that they already had him, (3) the juvenile's willingness to answer questions, (4) the defendant's assistance in retrieving the stolen money, (5) the presence of the mother during the interrogation, (6) the conversational tone of the questioning and (7) the defendant's cute behavior during the fingerprinting and the interrogation sessions. In essence, the State focuses on the objective indicia during the interrogation to support its position. Such a focus is not inappropriate; it is, in most instances, however, inadequate. The totality-of-the-circumstances approach requires a broader evaluation of the circumstances surrounding a confession than examination of only the words spoken and actions taken by the parties during the actual period of questioning. The analysis must include evaluation ... into whether the [juvenile] had the capacity to understand the warnings given to him, the nature of his Fifth Amendment rights, and the consequences of waiving those rights.  (Emphasis added.) State v. Ann Marie C., 407 A.2d at 724. Moreover, we find that the factors suggested by the State are insufficient, given the other circumstances of this case, to establish a valid waiver by the juvenile. The State suggests that the police officers read and elaborated upon the Miranda warnings. The officers did not explain at the suppression hearing, however, the extent of their elaboration beyond the conclusory statement that they did indeed elaborate upon the standard Miranda reading. Moreover, Lieutenant Bolduc indicated that he did not believe the juvenile was informed that he could terminate the questioning at any time. There may be no express requirement that the police, prior to the commencement of interrogation, give the fifth Miranda warning, that is, inform the accused of his right to terminate questioning at any time. See Commonwealth v. Lewis, 374 Mass. 203, 205, 371 N.E.2d 775, 777 (1978) (better practice is to give fifth Miranda warning); Micale v. State, 76 Wis.2d 370, 251 N.W.2d 458 (1977) (fifth warning required). The failure to give this warning, however, will generally raise a serious question as to the adequacy of a juvenile's understanding of his rights and, in this case, specifically raises serious doubt as to the claimed elaboration of the Miranda rights. Cf. United States v. DiGiacoma, 579 F.2d 1211, 1214-15 (10th Cir. 1978). Law enforcement officials would be well advised to fully explain the rights enunciated in the Miranda warning when dealing with juvenile offenders in order to assure adequate comprehension of these important safeguards. [3] Both Bolduc and Frazer also indicated, and the District Court found, that in the course of their explanation of the Miranda rights, they focused their remarks towards the juvenile's mother. It is certainly a sound policy to have a parent or another interested adult present during the questioning of a juvenile. See State v. Michael L., 441 A.2d at 688. We applaud the actions of the police in this respect. The police must not forget, however, that the juvenile must also be apprised of his rights. See Matter of Hector G., 89 Misc.2d 1081, 1084, 393 N.Y.S.2d 519, 522 (1977). It may not be assumed that an unfocused explanation or remarks directed toward an adult is adequate to convey to a fourteen-year-old juvenile a sufficient understanding of his rights to support a finding of a waiver of them. Moreover, the presence of an interested adult during the questioning is a less weighty indicium of a valid waiver when the child is not afforded the opportunity to meaningfully and privately consult with that adult. See In Re Dino, 359 So.2d at 594 ( per se rule); Commonwealth v. Roane, 459 Pa. 389, 396, 329 A.2d 286, 289 (1974), or when the adult's mental or intellectual capabilities, as here, raise doubts as to the adult's understanding of the constitutional rights at issue. See State v. Michael L., 441 A.2d at 690 (Carter, J., dissenting). The other factors noted by the State are inapposite inasmuch that the juvenile's overall cooperativeness during his custody does not indicate an understanding or voluntary waiver of his rights. He may well have felt obliged to act in a cooperative manner. Indeed, Nicholas S. testified that he thought he had to answer the officer's questions and that both his mother and the police told him to tell the truth. The accused need not be physically abused or expressly threatened in order for a confession to be made without a full understanding or waiver of one's rights. Telling on the issue of waiver is the limited education and experience of the juvenile. The juvenile is fourteen-years-old, in the eighth grade at school and has limited, almost nugatory, prior experience with the criminal justice process. The juvenile testified that he missed a lot of school, flunked English and predominantly read comic books. Frazer was aware of the juvenile's age and grade and Bolduc knew the defendant missed a lot of school. These factors are, in the context of this case, suggestive of an inability on the part of the juvenile to fully understand the Miranda warnings and the consequences of waiving these rights. While not necessarily dispositive, a juvenile's age, intelligence, level of education and experience with the criminal justice system are important considerations in evaluating the validity of a juvenile's waiver. [4] See Clewis v. Texas, 386 U.S. 707, 712, 87 S.Ct. 1338, 1341, 18 L.Ed.2d 423, 428 (1967) (other factors take on greater significance in light of fifth grade education of juvenile and fact that he had never been in trouble with the law before); Gallegos v. Colorado, 370 U.S. 49, 54, 82 S.Ct. 1209, 1212, 8 L.Ed.2d 325, 328 (1962) (fourteen-year-old is unlikely to be capable of knowing how to protect his own interests); Commonwealth v. Cain, 361 Mass. 224, 228-29, 279 N.E.2d 706, 709-10 (1972) (age is not controlling but a relevant factor together with prior experience with police practices, lack of parental guidance, agitated state of juvenile); State v. Prater, 77 Wash.2d 526, ___, 463 P.2d 640, 641 (1970) (juvenile because of fifteen prior arrests was well advised of constitutional rights); see generally Grisso, Juveniles' Capacities to Waive Miranda Rights: An Empirical Analysis, 68 Cal.L.Rev. 1134, 1138 n.24 (1980). The factors noted above raise grave doubts as to whether there was a real understanding and intelligent exercise by the juvenile of his rights. The limited explanation of the rights to the mother of the juvenile, a young boy of limited experience, is insufficient for us to find that Nicholas S. was aware of his rights and the consequences of foregoing them. [5] Upon review of the Juvenile Court's decision, see State v. Joey F., Me., 438 A.2d 1273, 1274 (1982), we conclude that the record does not provide rational support for the court's denial of the suppression motion. See State v. Bleyl, Me., 435 A.2d 1349, 1358 (1981); State v. Theriault, Me., 425 A.2d 986, 989 (1981). [6] The entry is: Judgment of the Superior Court vacated. Remanded to the Superior Court for entry of an order vacating the judgment of the District Court and remanding the case to the District Court for further proceedings consistent with the opinion herein. NICHOLS, ROBERTS, and VIOLETTE, JJ., concurring.