Opinion ID: 2444929
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Scott's Fifth Claim

Text: Scott's fifth claim is that counsel's performance was ineffective for failing to move to suppress all of Scott's statements to the police on the ground that, due to his history of intoxication and drug use, he was unable to understand the Miranda warnings given to him. As discussed above, Scott's statements to the police at the time of his arrest were voluntary and spontaneous, and not a result of police interrogation. Therefore, Miranda does not apply to these statements. Nor can Scott argue that, because of his prior drug and alcohol use, he was incapable of understanding the Miranda warnings given to him during a later taped interview with the police, because he did invoke his right to remain silent and the trial court granted defense counsel's motion to suppress those taped interview statements. Scott's counsel did not perform deficiently, and the trial court did not err or abuse its discretion by rejecting this claim.