Opinion ID: 2208121
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did defendant waive his constitutional rights?

Text: The primary grounds for the Court of Appeals decision to remand the case for a Walker hearing is an alleged ambiguity arising in the waiver form itself. The waiver form did not recite the well-established rule in Michigan that the results of a polygraph examination are not admissible at trial. People v Barbara, supra . Rather, it stated that any statements by the defendant made during the testing phase and questioning, before and after, could be used against him in a court of law. The Court of Appeals believed that these circumstances created an ambiguity in the acknowledgment portion of the waiver as to whether any evidence would be admissible from the polygraph procedure. 156 Mich App 44. (Emphasis added.) We disagree with the Court of Appeals that the facts of this case raised clear and substantial questions as to whether the defendant voluntarily waived his Miranda right or his Fifth [8] or Sixth Amendment rights to counsel. The facts indicate that the defendant was arrested on October 14, 1983, approximately one month after the fire. After he was arraigned, he was released on bond. On November 10, 1983, defendant voluntarily submitted to a polygraph examination. Defendant's counsel, Robin Wheaton, accompanied him to the Michigan State Police post in Flint where the examination was to take place. Sergeant Bratton, who administered the interrogation and polygraph examination, testified that she read to the defendant in the presence of his attorney each of the statements in the acknowledgment and asked him if he understood his rights and was willing to waive them. The defendant replied in the affirmative, and then signed the acknowledgment included on the waiver form which included: I understand that I have the right to remain silent and that anything that I say during the testing phase and questioning, before or after, can be used against me in a court of law. I further understand that I may exercise my right to remain silent and stop answering questions at any time. [156 Mich App 36.] During a separate hearing at trial, it was revealed that prior to the examination, and while in the presence of counsel, defendant signed a written waiver of his right to counsel during the examination and during the questioning immediately before and after the examination. The waiver form was received into evidence. Also, during the separate record, Mr. Wheaton agreed with Sergeant Bratton that he had been present when the defendant was advised of his rights and waived them. He also elicited from the sergeant that these rights were not repeated immediately prior to the postexamination questioning which occurred approximately two hours after the initial warnings were given. Sergeant Bratton was then permitted to testify at trial during the people's case in chief that after the examination she asked the defendant a rhetorical question, that she thought he and Rod Anderson had set fire to the apartment. Defendant allegedly responded, Right. [9] Before trial, defense counsel renewed his objection in a motion to suppress the statements. Defense counsel argued that although the examining officer read the defendant Miranda warnings prior to the polygraph examination, she did not do so again after the examination which continued for a considerable length of time, thus failing to insure that the defendant understood that the same protections applied after the test as before the test. In denying the motion to suppress the statements, the circuit judge held that nothing in the testimony pinpointed a fatal passage of time between the Miranda warnings and the statement  therefore defendant's waiver applied to the postexamination interview. The issue thus presented on this record is whether the failure to readvise the defendant of Miranda rights at the conclusion of the examination prevents a voluntary and intelligent waiver per se. We conclude in the circumstances of this case that it was not necessary to rewarn the defendant of his constitutional rights in the limited exchange that ensued immediately after the polygraph machine was shut off. In Wyrick v Fields, 459 US 42, 47; 103 S Ct 394; 74 L Ed 2d 214 (1982), the United States Supreme Court rejected the Eighth Circuit Court's holding that a failure to rewarn a suspect prior to the postpolygraph interview was a violation per se of his Fifth Amendment right to have counsel present at the interview. Recognizing that we are free to formulate another test, we adopt the Wyrick interpretation and hold that the admissibility of such statements is to be resolved by a review as to whether in the totality of circumstances the waiver of the Fifth Amendment right could be considered knowing and voluntary. In this case, the only circumstance intervening between the preexamination rights and postexamination questioning which was alleged to be of moment was the two-hour time period that encompassed the preinterview conversation, the test itself and the postexamination interview. In addition, the same person who had warned defendant of his rights the first time, and who conducted the polygraph examination, also conducted the postexamination questioning. Cf. United States v Gillyard, 726 F2d 1426 (CA 9, 1984). Therefore, as in Wyrick, it was not reasonable to expect a rewarning of those rights at that time. Finally, and most importantly, the defendant's waiver expressly extended to a postexamination interview. Further, it is clear that this is not a situation in which defendant was isolated from counsel. While free on bond, the defendant appeared voluntarily for the examination and was accompanied by counsel who remained at the police station for the duration of the examination. Counsel and defendant were informed that counsel could not be present during the examination, yet counsel made no objection. See State v Erickson, supra . There is no allegation that the defendant wished to confer with counsel during the questioning but was not allowed to do so. Nor does the defendant contend that the questioning was beyond what was expected or agreed upon. Cf. State v Baillargeon, 124 NH 355; 470 A2d 915 (1983). This case is distinguishable from People v Leonard, supra . In that case, a stipulation was entered into by the prosecutor and defense counsel whereby the results of the polygraph examination and opinions drawn therefrom would not be admissible in evidence. Defense counsel argued that the stipulation suppressed all evidence from questions during the examination, including any statements made by the defendant. In Leonard, it was quite clear that there was a misconception on the defendant's part as to what was and what was not to be admitted at trial. In this case, the examining officer specifically informed the defendant that anything he might say during the testing phase and questioning, before or after, could be used against him in a court of law. Further, counsel was present when the defendant was so informed. Unlike Leonard, the instant defendant never attacked the statement on the ground that because it was made during the course of a polygraph examination he believed the statement would be inadmissible at trial. Rather, the objection was based solely on the fact that the officer failed to rewarn the defendant of his constitutional rights.