Opinion ID: 2175635
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Admissibility of Statements Made by Houde to Patrolman Carchia and Sergeant Hall

Text: The defendant contends that statements that he made to Patrolman Carchia and Sergeant Hall outside the Dunkin Donuts establishment were inadmissible because he was in custody and had not waived his privilege against self-incrimination. The position of defendant is somewhat obscure on this issue because he argues, first, that he was in custody whereas the trial justice found as a fact that he was not. More significantly, the trial justice found by clear and convincing evidence that Houde had been given his Miranda rights and that he voluntarily waived such rights. The only people present at the time of the conversation among Carchia, Hall, and defendant were those three individuals. Both Carchia and Hall stated that defendant was advised of his Miranda rights and that he voluntarily decided to make a statement after such admonition. We have often stated that a finding by a trial justice relating to the giving of Miranda admonitions and their sufficiency will not be set aside or disturbed on review unless clearly erroneous. State v. Amado, 424 A.2d 1057, 1062 (R.I. 1981). The record in this case amply supports the finding by the trial justice that such admonitions were given prior to any statements having been made by defendant. Therefore, assuming without deciding that defendant may have been in custody from the beginning of the interview, we conclude that the statements made would nevertheless have been admissible. The defendant argues that the sufficiency of the Miranda warnings would have been affected by the testimony of Detective Corley, who was summoned by defendant but was not available to testify. Since Corley was not present during the colloquy that took place outside the Dunkin Donuts shop, we are unable to determine how his testimony on this subject could have been relevant. It is obvious from the exchange between defense counsel and the trial justice that defense counsel had not even the glimmer of an idea concerning what Corley would have testified to if he were present in court. This omission cannot form any basis for faulting the trial justice or finding reversible error in his declining to continue the case to enable Detective Corley to be present.