Opinion ID: 1922618
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Statements Made at the Hancock County Jail

Text: [¶ 26] Lockhart contends that the court should have suppressed the statements he made to Detective Pickering on the afternoon of December 12 at the Hancock County Jail because the detective failed to terminate his questioning once Lockhart invoked, albeit ambiguously, his right to counsel before the administration of the Miranda warnings. [3] The State responds that Lockhart's right to counsel was fully satisfied when Detective Pickering first told him that it was up to him to decide whether to answer questions before speaking with a lawyer and then reinformed Lockhart of his right to counsel. [¶ 27] When an individual has not yet made a valid waiver of the Miranda rights and invokes, even ambiguously, the right to remain silent or the right to an attorney, he or she has invoked the Miranda rights. Holloway, 2000 ME 172, ¶¶ 7, 12, 760 A.2d at 226, 228 (vacating the murder conviction because two detectives improperly continued to question an unwarned suspect after he repeatedly stated that he had said everything he had to say, refused to answer some of their questions, and asked to end the interrogation so he could contact an attorney). [¶ 28] Detective Pickering testified that prior to administering the Miranda warnings at the jail, Lockhart stated that he would admit to what he did, and asked if the detective thought Lockhart needed a lawyer. The detective responded that he could not make that decision for Lockhart and instead would read him his Miranda rights again, and Lockhart could decide. Unlike the officers' response in Holloway of ignoring an unwarned suspect's numerous requests, Detective Pickering properly responded that he could not decide whether Lockhart needed a lawyer, and then administered the Miranda warnings and asked Lockhart to demonstrate his understanding of each right. Pickering then asked Lockhart: Now, having all those rights which I just explained to you in mind, do you wish to answer questions at this time? and Lockhart answered: I will try to. Lockhart's question as to whether Detective Pickering thought he needed a lawyer was just that, a question, and the detective properly answered it. Neither the question, nor the exchange between the detective and Lockhart that followed, served to invoke Lockhart's right to an attorney.