Opinion ID: 1939276
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jones' confession.

Text: After the second lineup held in this case, the defendant made inculpatory statements to Detective Jackson. In the previous Wright Case, the presiding judge refused to permit the statement of Jones, in which he admitted his participation in the American Motors case, to be admitted into evidence during the trial in that case. That statement was made at the same time the inculpatory statement in question here was made. However, Judge RICE, after a Goodchild hearing, [18] permitted testimony of this statement to be given. After this hearing Judge RICE made the following ruling: Now, Det. Jackson did not advise the defendant completely of all of his rights to remain silent forgetting or not telling him that he could stop answering questions at any time and that he had a right to have an attorney present during the interrogation. I find, however, that Mr. Jones talked to an Attorney Sekora and Attorney Conen, both of whom are associated with the same firm and that Mr. Conen, when he testified assumed that he was representing Mr. Jones at the time and did discuss with him his rights to remain silent and did tell him, although he does not remember specifically, did tell him that he had no obligation to say anything, to make a statement to anyone. He does not remember whether Det. Jackson asked him if he could speak to his client or to the defendant, however, Det. Jackson says that he asked Mr. Conen if he could speak to his client and immediately thereafter he did discuss with Mr. Jones and particular admissions resulted from this discussion and immediately before this admission was made by the defendant Det. Jackson told him that he continued to have the right to remain silent and anything he said would be used for or against him. I rule then that the opportunity that Mr. Jones had to discuss this situation with the two attorneys and the fact that the attorney did say to Mr. Jackson that he could question him do result in an effective waiver of the right to be represented by an attorney at the time these admissions were obtained as this effective waiver is described by the Miranda Decision and the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. I should say for the record that I find that Mr. Jackson did not ask Conen to be present during Jones's interrogation and that Det. Jackson did not inquire of Conen specifically if he represented Mr. Jones. Defendant makes several attacks on this ruling, claiming among other things that he was never given an adequate Miranda [19] warning concerning his right to remain silent and that the warning given was too long before the interrogation to protect his constitutional rights. Attorney Conen's testimony rebuts these arguments. As previously indicated, this court in Wright found that Attorney Conen represented the defendant during the lineups. In this case, Attorney Conen testified that prior to Jones' statement to the police he advised Jones that he was not under any duty or obligation to make any statement or make any disclosures to anyone and could rely on his constitutional privileges. This testimony clearly indicates that while the police may have failed in their duty to give the proper warnings to the defendant, this failure was cured by the defendant's attorney advising him of his rights. This intervening action by Attorney Conen shortly before the statements were made answers the defendant's claim that the warnings by the police were given too long before the statement to be effective. Defendant was not prejudiced. Defendant objects to the finding that Attorney Conen represented him at any time, but this finding is not against the great weight and clear preponderance of this evidence, [20] has previously been affirmed in the Wright Case, and is reaffirmed here. Defendant also contends that even assuming Attorney Conen was representing him at the time he made the inculpatory statements, the trial court erroneously ruled that Attorney Conen's statement to Detective Jackson that he could question the defendant was an effective waiver of the right to be represented by an attorney. According to the defendant, this alleged waiver was not part of any trial strategy and he did not authorize or participate in it. [21] The facts and circumstances surrounding this alleged waiver, while unclear, indicate otherwise. Shortly after Attorney Conen left the police station, the defendant made his statement admitting his participation in the St. Elizabeth's robbery. No allegation is made that this statement was involuntary and the result of overreaching of the police. The defendant's position throughout the trial was that he never made any statement to Detective Jackson. The finding by Judge RICE that defendant at the time he made the inculpatory statement had waived his right to have counsel present is not against the great weight and clear preponderance of the evidence. [22]