Opinion ID: 1098782
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Voluntariness Issue

Text: In support of his argument that the confessions were not voluntary, defendant contends that the state failed to rebut defendant's allegations that his inculpatory statements were made under duress and that the state therefore did not carry its burden of proving the confessions to be free and voluntary. Furthermore defendant argues that the confessions should have been suppressed because the state failed to adhere to standards announced in State in the Interest of Dino, 359 So.2d 586 (La.1978) concerning confessions of juveniles. At the hearing on the motion to suppress defendant testified that although he was not struck, kicked or otherwise physically abused, his statements were not voluntary. Harris testified that during the course of the questioning, the officers threatened to take me off and kill me, throw me in the river. . . . Telling me that if I didn't confess to the murders, . . . they was going to kill me, you know, beat me. When asked whether he signed the waiver of rights forms bearing his signature, Harris stated that he was forced to sign them. In brief defendant contends that the state failed to rebut defendant's allegations that he was threatened and coerced into making the inculpatory statements and signing the waiver of rights forms. He contends that the state may not rely upon general testimony that the defendant was not threatened but must specifically rebut the allegations in defendant's testimony. The record indicates that the state did in fact introduce rebuttal testimony that specifically refuted defendant's claims of threats and coercion. After the defense rested the state presented the testimony of Officer Pascal Saladino, Detectives Thomas Woodall, Frank McNeil, Gerald DeRose, and Officer Michael Dunn. Officer Saladino testified on rebuttal that neither he nor any one else in his presence threatened to kill the defendant and throw his body into the river if he did not co-operate. The officer also stated that no one forced the defendant to sign the waiver of rights forms. The testimony of Detectives Frank McNeil, Gerald DeRose, and Officer Michael Dunn was that no one threatened to kill the defendant and no force was used to make him sign the waiver of rights forms. The testimony of each of these officers specifically refuted defendant's testimony that he was threatened to make the inculpatory statements and coerced into signing the waiver of rights forms. Defendant in brief also argues that this Court's decision in State in the Interest of Dino, supra , should be applied retroactively in this case. In Dino we held that a confession of a person under seventeen years of age is not admissible unless the juvenile actually consulted with an attorney or an adult before waiving his right to remain silent; that the attorney or adult consulted was interested in the welfare of the juvenile; and that if an adult other than an attorney is consulted, the adult also must be fully advised of the rights of the juvenile. However, this Court in State v. Collum, 365 So.2d 1272 (La.1978) determined that because the rule announced in Dino does not go to the integrity of the fact finding process, the additional safeguards announced in Dino would not apply to cases in which the trial began before the effective date of that decisionJune 15, 1978. Because the confessions in this case were in April of 1977 and the trial begun in October of 1977, Dino is not applicable and under Collum the admissibility of defendant's confessions is to be determined by the totality of circumstances surrounding them: Proper application of the totality of circumstances test requires that the State sustain the burden of affirmatively proving that the waiver of rights was made freely and voluntarily, with understanding of the consequences which might flow from such a waiver. La.Rev. Stat. 15:451; State v. Hills, 354 So.2d 186 (La.1977). Age of the defendant is a factor which requires this Court to give closer scrutiny to the confession of a juvenile than would ordinarily be required of an adult confession. State v. Sylvester, 298 So.2d 807 (La.1974).       There is no litany of factors to be considered in applying the test. Each case is to be judged on all of the facts and circumstances in that particular situation.. . . 365 So.2d at 1278. At the time of his confessions defendant was sixteen years old and had completed the seventh grade. Psychiatric evaluations indicated that his I.Q. was estimated to be between 75 and 100 and that he was well-oriented to time, place, person and situation. Two of the reports noted that although defendant was not well-educated, he spoke in a very deliberate manner and had a surprisingly elegant spontaneous vocabulary. Testimony at the hearing on the motion to suppress indicated that defendant's first contact with police officers was at the Top of the Duke Motel after the officers had learned from a confidential informant that one of the persons involved in the robbery and shooting of a seaman was in Room 18 of that motel. Patrolman Fricke testified that he and his partner identified themselves as policemen, told defendant that he was a suspect in the shooting and robbery, and advised the defendant of his Miranda rights. The officer testified that because defendant was a juvenile and it was department policy to have parents present during interviews with juveniles, he requested that defendant accompany them to the First District Station. Defendant voluntarily accompanied them to the station. He was again advised of his constitutional rights and asked whether his mother or father could be contacted. Officers attempted to contact defendant's mother at work but were unsuccessful at this time. Defendant then volunteered the information that he was involved in the robbery but had not shot the French seaman. Defendant was then again advised of his Miranda rights and signed a waiver of rights form. Defendant was then formally arrested for armed robbery and attempted murder of the French seaman and was taken to the Juvenile Bureau. Approximately 2½ hours after he was initially brought to the police station, defendant was questioned as to whether he frequented the French Quarter and associated with homosexuals. He then volunteered that he was a witness to the stabbing death of one of the four murder victims. Defendant identified the victim's assailant as Cliff and picked out a photograph of one Clifton Meeks as the perpetrator of the crime. It was after the officers had failed to locate Meeks and had inquired whether defendant could give any more information about Meeks' whereabouts that the defendant volunteered that he and not Meeks had done the stabbing. Defendant was then again read his rights. The officers continued to question defendant and he then orally confessed to killing each of the four victims. At this time defendant's mother who had finally been contacted arrived at the station. Defendant was again advised of his rights and in the presence of his mother (and his grandfather a part of the time) defendant gave the three written statements (one not fully completed) used at trial. We can not conclude from this record that the state failed to meet its burden of showing that defendant freely and voluntarily waived his rights with an understanding of the consequences which might flow from such a waiver. According to the testimony presented at the suppression hearing, defendant was advised of his Miranda rights on six different occasions and signed three rights of arrestee forms (two of which were signed in the presence of his mother or grandfather) in which he waived those rights. The officers who questioned defendant testified that he seemed to comprehend each of his rights each time he was advised of them. The psychiatric reports included in the record indicate that defendant is of average or slightly below average intelligence, but that his vocabulary and speech are rather sophisticated for someone of his educational background. And although defendant claims that he was threatened and coerced into giving the statements and signing the waiver of rights forms, the state presented sufficient evidence for the trial court to conclude that the statements were freely and voluntarily made.