Opinion ID: 2600675
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Involuntariness

Text: Defendant contends that both his Miranda waiver and his ensuing statement are attributable to his will being overborne and thus are involuntary. As mentioned earlier, defendant believes we should infer involuntariness from the likelihood that defendant was physically and psychologically coerced while in the custody of Mexican law enforcement officers and, in addition, [a]fter this ordeal, he was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Defendant also points to the circumstances surrounding his seizure by American officials, his recent ingestion of drugs and alcohol, the circumstances of the flight, including lengthy confinement in a small aircraft, lack of sleep, water, and access to a telephone, his inability to communicate effectively in English, and Detective Edmonds's assertedly coercive questioning tactics. As an initial matter, defendant requests that the court overlook defense counsel's failure to object to the admission of the confession at trial or, alternatively, determine that defense counsel violated defendant's Sixth Amendment rights by providing ineffective assistance. We shall discuss the latter claim with the other claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. On the merits, we conclude that the circumstances of defendant's arrest and transfer did not contribute to or result in his will being overborne. Defendant's spontaneous initial admission of guilt (in itself consistent with the self-accusatory note found in his vehicle), the absence of physical signs or other evidence that defendant had been mistreated prior to or during his transfer to American officials, together with the recording of the Miranda advisements, defendant's explicit waiver of his rights, and his subsequent lengthy and detailed narrative of the circumstances of the crimes, are simply inconsistent with involuntary conduct on his part. The record evidence amply reflects defendant's personal willingness, if not desire, to discuss his crimes.