Opinion ID: 888658
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Did the District Court properly deny Schmidt's motion to suppress evidence of his confession?

Text: ¶ 51 Schmidt argues that he gave his confession and consent to a search in response to deficient Miranda warnings. Schmidt first attacks the notification of rights form used by the officers. Schmidt claims that the form's wording implied that his right to counsel applied solely to judicial proceedings and did not extend to police interrogations. Schmidt next argues that the interviewing detective should have ascertained whether Schmidt understood his rights. Schmidt claims that the detective should have asked him explicitly whether he wished to be interviewed without counsel present. Finally, Schmidt maintains that the cursory manner in which the officer read the Miranda warnings failed to enable Schmidt to understand the consequences of waiving his rights. Schmidt claims that the sixteen seconds that it took the officer to read him his rights constituted mere lip service to Miranda. ¶ 52 Detective Edward Butch Harrington testified at trial that he gave Schmidt a copy of the notification form. Detective Harrington read Schmidt his rights before questioning him. The video of Schmidt's interrogation depicts Detective Harrington reciting the Miranda warning to Schmidt in the presence of another officer. Detective Harrington summarized Schmidt's rights, stating: What I read ya, this breaks it down six ways (reading) `you have the absolute right to remain silent.' If you read and if you can understand it and are comfortable with that, I'm just going to ask that you initial it. That's all it is, is your rights. It's not an admission or anything like that. Schmidt examined the form, signed it, and handed it back to the detective. Schmidt specifically initialed six separate rights, including the right to have counsel present during questioning. Schmidt signed and dated the form. ¶ 53 The District Court twice viewed the recording of the interrogation. The court observed that the detectives had not used coercion or other improper investigative techniques. The detectives, on the contrary, were respectful, spoke in calm voices, and allowed Schmidt breaks during the interview. The detectives did not make any promises to Schmidt in exchange for his statement. The District Court noted that although Detective Harrington's recitation was brief, [t]he recording depicts an adult suspect who appears to understand the nature and consequences of the interview process, including his waiver of rights. Schmidt did not ask for counsel or assert his right to remain silent at any time during the interview. ¶ 54 The District Court also took into account Schmidt's demeanor during questioning. The court determined that Schmidt's ability to understand the officers' questions and to formulate appropriate responses supported the notion that Schmidt understood and voluntarily had waived his rights. The court further noted that the officers had prefaced their request to search Schmidt's house with a second and more extensive explanation of Schmidt's rights. The District Court properly denied Schmidt's motion to suppress.