Opinion ID: 2315904
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Validity of Defendant's Waiver of his Miranda Rights

Text: The admissibility of defendant's statements requires a finding by a preponderance of the evidence that he knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his Miranda rights, see State v. Bleyl, 435 A.2d at 1358, and that his statements were voluntary beyond a reasonable doubt, see State v. Collins, 297 A.2d 620, 627 (Me. 1972). Although defendant has been diagnosed as having various personality disorders and has an I.Q. that reflects borderline mental retardation, his intellectual limitations do not per se demonstrate his inability to waive his Miranda rights. See Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 170-71, 107 S.Ct. 515, 523-24, 93 L.Ed.2d 473 (1986); State v. Knights, 482 A.2d 436, 440-41 (Me.1984). The record supports the court's finding that defendant's waiver was knowing and intelligent. Not only did he indicate that he understood each of the Miranda warnings as it was read to him, but when the officer forgot to read the fifth warning, defendant prompted him, asking, Can I stop at any time? During the interrogation defendant asked several times when he would be allowed to leave. Contrary to his contention on appeal, those queries did not constitute a clear assertion of his right to terminate the questioning. It was not clearly erroneous for the court to find that the detectives' follow-up questions were acceptable attempts to determine what defendant wanted to do. See State v. Ladd, 431 A.2d 60, 62 (Me.1981). Similarly, defendant's contention that his statements were involuntary is without merit. Neither the detective's engaging defendant in banter nor his encouraging defendant to tell the truth constituted the overbearing of the suspect's free will and rational intellect that requires a finding of involuntariness. See State v. Caouette, 446 A.2d 1120, 1123 (Me.1982); State v. Theriault, 425 A.2d 986, 990 (Me. 1981). The interrogation lasted about three hours, not so long a time as to constitute coercion, and defendant presented no evidence that the police were at any time abusive or hostile. On this record the court's finding that defendant's confession was voluntary beyond a reasonable doubt is not clearly erroneous.