Opinion ID: 2211681
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: johnson's statement

Text: Following the inspection of the crime scene, the police spoke with Dawn Gautier, a neighbor of Leu. Gautier told police that on Saturday, March 28, 1998, she saw a black teenager at Leu's doorstep. Gautier saw the teenager talk to Leu, then push her arm down and enter her home. At trial, Gautier identified the youth as being Garner. As part of their investigation and before Garner was established as a suspect, police officers went to speak with Johnson, an 11-year-old youth who was identified as a possible suspect. The record indicates that Johnson had previously harassed Leu. Johnson was picked up by the police and interviewed beginning at 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. The record indicates that the interview lasted until approximately 4 a.m., March 30. Johnson was then transported to a hospital, where blood was drawn. During the interview, the interviewing officer misrepresented to Johnson that police had found his fingerprints in Leu's house and that witnesses had seen him at her house. Johnson repeatedly insisted that he was not involved in Leu's death, and the record indicates that he was emotionally upset. Johnson repeatedly asked when he could go home or indicated that he wanted to go home. The requests were either denied or were generally ignored by the interviewers. Johnson began crying during the interview. Johnson also told the officers that he was sleepy. At trial, Johnson testified that he was tired and at times fell asleep when there was a break in the questioning. At one point in the interview, following his repeated inquiries about going home, Johnson indicated that he had pushed or hit Leu, possibly with a hammer. However, when officers pointed out inconsistencies in Johnson's story with the facts of the case, Johnson stated that he had made up the story so that he could go home and go to bed. At trial, Johnson testified and stated that he told the police at one point that he had committed the crime because he thought they would let him go home. Johnson also provided testimony regarding the manner in which the police interviewed him. The officers who interviewed Johnson also provided detailed testimony regarding the manner in which he was interviewed and about his statement that he struck or pushed Leu. Garner sought to have Johnson's taped statement played to the jury. The State objected on the bases of hearsay and relevance. Before trial, the district court ruled that testimony regarding Johnson's statement could be used to illustrate police interview techniques and to impeach, but, absent additional foundation set forth outside the presence of the jury at trial, it could not be used to prove the truth of the matter asserted. At trial, the court refused Garner's request to play the tapes. The court stated that if parts of the tapes would demonstrate an interview technique by tone or inflections of the voice, those portions could be played. However, based on its prior determination of the issue, the court stated that the tapes could not be used at all for the truth of the matter asserted.