Opinion ID: 733387
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Kozak's Confession

Text: 28 Kozak first claims the interview conducted by officers Schouten and Summerhill was custodial in nature and her Fifth Amendment rights were violated because she was not advised of her rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), either prior to or during the interview. The government acknowledges that Kozak was never Mirandized. Thus, the issue is whether Kozak was in custody at the time of the interview. 29 To determine whether Kozak was in custody for Miranda purposes, we examine all facts relevant to the following inquiry: how would a reasonable person in Kozak's position have understood her situation? If, from an objective viewpoint, someone in [Kozak's] position would reasonably believe her freedom of action had been curtailed to a 'degree associated with a formal arrest,' then she would be held in custody during the interrogation. United States v. Griffin, 7 F.3d 1512, 1518 (10th Cir.1993) (quoting Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420, 440, 104 S.Ct. 3138, 3150, 82 L.Ed.2d 317 (1984)) (citation and footnote omitted). Because the determination of custody is based on the totality-of-the-circumstances, it is necessarily fact intensive. Id. Therefore, a district court's determination that a defendant was not in custody for purposes of Miranda is reviewed for clear error. Cordoba v. Hanrahan, 910 F.2d 691, 693 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1014, 111 S.Ct. 585, 112 L.Ed.2d 590 (1990). 30 Based upon a thorough review of the record and consideration of the totality-of-the-circumstances surrounding the interview, we conclude the district court's finding that Kozak was not in custody is not clearly erroneous. A district court finding is clearly erroneous if it is without factual support in the record or if [this court], after reviewing all the evidence, is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Cowles v. Dow Keith Oil & Gas, Inc., 752 F.2d 508, 511 (10th Cir.1985) (citation omitted), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 816, 107 S.Ct. 74, 93 L.Ed.2d 30 (1986). The district court's conclusion that a reasonable person in Kozak's position would not believe she was in custody finds more than adequate support in the record. 31 The sequence of events leading up to Kozak's confession is as follows. When Schouten and Summerhill arrived at Kozak's house, they asked if she would be willing to talk with them and specifically informed her that she was not under arrest. Kozak was never handcuffed and neither officer exhibited any sign of force or intimidation. 32 Once Schouten, Summerhill, and Kozak arrived at the sheriff's office, they went directly into Summerhill's office. 4 Kozak was again informed that she was not under arrest. The conversation that followed took place in Summerhill's office rather than in an interrogation room. Kozak indicated that she was willing to talk to Schouten and Summerhill, but insisted that the conversation not be taped. After Schouten agreed not to tape the conversation, Kozak admitted that she knew the package contained methamphetamine and that she had received similar packages in the past. The conversation lasted no more than twenty minutes. Kozak never indicated at any time during the conversation that she wanted to stop and never asked for an attorney. In light of this sequence of events and the facts as found by the district court, the district court's conclusion that Kozak was not in custody at the time of the interview is not clearly erroneous and is, therefore, affirmed. 5 33 In addition to her Miranda claim, Kozak asserts that the district court should have excluded her confession because it was not voluntarily given. Incriminating statements obtained by government acts, threats, or promises that permit the defendant's will to be overborne run afoul of the Fifth Amendment and are inadmissible at trial as evidence of guilt. Malloy v. Hogan, 378 U.S. 1, 7, 84 S.Ct. 1489, 1493, 12 L.Ed.2d 653 (1964). In determining whether a particular confession is coerced, we consider the following factors: (1) the age, intelligence, and education of the defendant; (2) the length of the detention; (3) the length and nature of the questioning; (4) whether the defendant was advised of her constitutional rights; and (5) whether the defendant was subjected to physical punishment. See Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 226, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 2047, 36 L.Ed.2d 854 (1973). The determination of voluntariness is based on the totality-of-the-circumstances; none of the single factors listed above is determinative. Id. Accordingly, this court must be mindful of all of the circumstances surrounding a defendant's interrogation, including the particular defendant's characteristics. See id. 34 When a defendant challenges the use of her statements on the ground that they were involuntary, it is the duty of this court to examine the entire record and make an independent determination of the ultimate issue of voluntariness. Davis v. North Carolina, 384 U.S. 737, 741-42, 86 S.Ct. 1761, 1764, 16 L.Ed.2d 895 (1966). Nevertheless, the district court's rulings regarding subsidiary factual questions, such as whether the police intimidated or threatened a suspect or whether a suspect was particularly susceptible to police coercion, are subject to review under the clearly erroneous standard. United States v. Chalan, 812 F.2d 1302, 1307-08 (10th Cir.1987). 35 We conclude, based upon an independent evaluation of the record and with appropriate deference to the district court's findings of fact, that Kozak's confession was voluntary. Several key facts mandate this conclusion. First, although Kozak was not specifically informed that she did not have to answer any questions, she was informed at least twice that she was not under arrest. Furthermore, Kozak testified that based on her experience as a police officer, she was aware of her Miranda rights and knew that they applied to her. Second, the conversation was not excessively long, lasting no more than twenty minutes. Third, in light of Kozak's experience, the environment in which the conversation took place was not unduly coercive. The conversation took place in Summerhill's office at the Box Elder Sheriff's Office, rather than in an interrogation room. Furthermore, Kozak was extremely familiar with the sheriff's office due to her position with the Brigham City Police Department. Fourth, Kozak had been employed with the Brigham City Police Department as a detective for eleven years and was well versed in law enforcement procedures. Fifth, there is absolutely no evidence in the record tending to show that Kozak was unusually susceptible to coercion because of age, lack of education, or intelligence. Finally, and of particular importance, Kozak testified at the suppression hearing that she made a conscious decision to cooperate with Schouten and Summerhill because she wanted to help Glover and to be allowed to see him. These types of personal psychological pressures do not amount to official coercion rendering a confession involuntary. Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 170, 107 S.Ct. 515, 523, 93 L.Ed.2d 473 (1986). Furthermore, although Kozak argues on appeal that her confession was coerced by promises of leniency (i.e., a release on her own recognizance), she testified at the suppression hearing that those discussions did not occur until after the interview. In light of these facts, it is clear that Kozak's will was not overborne and that her confession was the product of her own free will.