Opinion ID: 508517
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Voluntariness of Consent to Search.

Text: 12 In support of his contention that evidence uncovered during the search of his apartment should have been suppressed, Arango-Correa argues that his consent was vitiated by the fact that he was in custody for five hours before he consented to the search. Arango-Correa further contends that he was subjected to subtle but intense coercion because he was strip-searched and questioned by DEA agents while in custody. 13 The government is required to demonstrate that consent [to search] was in fact voluntarily given, and not the result of duress or coercion, express or implied. Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 248, 93 S.Ct. 2041, 2059, 36 L.Ed.2d 854 (1973); see United States v. Ceballos, 812 F.2d 42, 49 (2d Cir.1987). The test of voluntariness is whether the consent was the product of an essentially free and unconstrained choice by its maker, Schneckloth, 412 U.S. at 225, 93 S.Ct. at 2046, and is a question of fact to be determined from all of the surrounding circumstances. Id. at 248-49, 93 S.Ct. at 2059. The district court's factual finding that Arango-Correa's consent was voluntarily given, therefore, will not be set aside by this Court unless it was clearly erroneous. United States v. Puglisi, 790 F.2d 240, 244 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 827, 107 S.Ct. 106, 93 L.Ed.2d 55 (1986). 14 The district court's finding that Arango-Correa voluntarily consented to the search of his apartment is amply supported by the record. The district court undertook a thorough inquiry of the circumstances surrounding Arango-Correa's consent as required by Schneckloth. The fact that Arango-Correa was in custody for five hours did not compel a finding that his consent was involuntary. To the extent that Arango-Correa urges us to hold that a five-hour detention renders a consent to search involuntary per se, we specifically decline to do so. 15 Defendant was well treated while in custody and was not subjected to the kind of intensive interrogation over many hours or days which would overwhelm the frightened prisoner and vitiate consent. Compare Stawicki v. Israel, 778 F.2d 380, 383 (7th Cir.1985) (5 1/2 hour detention including 1 1/2 hour interrogation did not render confession involuntary), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 842, 107 S.Ct. 150, 93 L.Ed.2d 91 (1986) and Shriner v. Wainwright, 715 F.2d 1452, 1455 (11th Cir.1983) (10-hour detention including five-hour interrogation did not render confession involuntary), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1051, 104 S.Ct. 1328, 79 L.Ed.2d 723 (1984) and United States v. Busic, 592 F.2d 13, 22 (2d Cir.1978) (despite weariness due to long flight and little sleep, written consent was not involuntarily given) with Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 495, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 1638, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966) (14-hour custody with lengthy interrogations by FBI and local police rendered confession involuntary), rev'g Westover v. United States, 342 F.2d 684 (9th Cir.1965) and Miranda, 384 U.S. at 499, 86 S.Ct. at 1640 (detention for five days including nine interrogations rendered confession involuntary), aff'g People v.Stewart, 62 Cal.2d 571, 43 Cal.Rptr. 210, 400 P.2d 97 (1965). 16 On this record, the district court's finding that defendant did not appear to be in such [ ] discomfort that his condition was affecting his ability to give a knowing and willing consent was not clearly erroneous. 17