Opinion ID: 874752
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Adamcik's parents could invoke his right to counsel.

Text: In Doe, we said [a] minor's parents may invoke the right to counsel for the child, but that request must also be clear and unambiguous. 137 Idaho at 525, 50 P.3d at 1020. See also United States v. Doe, 60 F.3d 544, 546 (9th Cir.1995) (examining whether minor's parent had unequivocally invoked his right to counsel, thus implying that the parent could do so). In Doe, the Appellant (a minor) argued that an interview he had with detectives should have been suppressed because his mother had invoked his right to counsel. 137 Idaho at 524, 50 P.3d at 1019. The Doe Court recognized that the mother could have done so, but concluded that the mother's conductin asking the police whether she needed an attorney for her son, and what to do since she could not afford onedid not amount to a clear and unambiguous request for counsel. Id. at 525, 50 P.3d at 1020. The State argues that this Court's statement in Doe should be considered obiter dictum, as this Court ultimately concluded that the Appellant's mother had not invoked his right to counsel. However, the Doe Court did not indicate that it was assuming arguendo that a parent could invoke their minor child's right to counsel, but then make a finding that the parent had not done so. Rather, the Court clearly stated that a parent could do so, and then applied the proper standard to determine whether it had been done under the facts at hand. [8] In Idaho, a parent may invoke the right to counsel on behalf of a minor child. The reasoning for this principle of law was aptly stated by the Court of Appeals of New York in People v. Mitchell : Children of tender years lack an adult's knowledge of the probable cause of their acts or omissions and are least likely to understand the scope of their rights and how to protect their own interests. They may not appreciate the ramifications of their decisions or realize all the implications of the importance of counsel. Indeed, the need for counsel has been recognized as all the more vital with respect to the unsophisticated, who are often uneducated in the ways of the criminal justice system and unaware of the role counsel can play in protecting their interests. 2 N.Y.3d 272, 778 N.Y.S.2d 427, 810 N.E.2d 879, 882 (2004) (quoting People v. Settles, 46 N.Y.2d 154, 412 N.Y.S.2d 874, 385 N.E.2d 612, 614 (1978)). 3. Assuming arguendo that Adamcik's parents did invoke his right to counsel, Adamcik's Miranda rights were not violated. A suspect must unambiguously request counsel in order to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to counselhe must articulate his desire to have counsel present sufficiently clearly that a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney. Davis v. United States, 512 U.S. 452, 459, 114 S.Ct. 2350, 2355, 129 L.Ed.2d 362, 371 (1994). Where an individual asserts his right to counsel, the interrogation must cease until counsel has been made available to him, or until he himself initiates further communication, exchanges, or conversations with the police. Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 485, 101 S.Ct. 1880, 1885, 68 L.Ed.2d 378, 386 (1981). The district court below did not make a factual finding as to whether or not Adamcik's mother, Shannon, had invoked his Fifth Amendment right to counsel. The court did not feel compelled to weigh the credibility of statements offered by Sean and Shannon against those offered by the three detectives, finding that even if Shannon had invoked Adamcik's right to counsel, that right was subsequently waived. Where an individual has invoked his right to counsel, the police may not continue to interrogate him until he has either been provided with access to an attorney or until he himself reinitiates communication with the police, as was noted in Edwards, 451 U.S. at 485, 101 S.Ct. at 1885, 68 L.Ed.2d at 386-87. Where a parent has invoked the right to counsel on behalf of a minor child, and the police continue to request that the parent waive that right, there is no violationas the child is not being questioned by the police. See, e.g., State v. Hansen, 138 Idaho 791, 795, 69 P.3d 1052, 1056 (2003) (noting that Miranda rights apply where a person is subject to custodial interrogation). Furthermore, even if the parent agrees to waive Miranda rights, the minor himself will still have to agree to such a waiver, removing at least part of the rationale for the rule established in Edwards. See Davis v. United States, 512 U.S. 452, 458, 114 S.Ct. 2350, 2354-55, 129 L.Ed.2d 362, 370-71 (1994) (explaining that the rationale behind prohibiting the police from attempting to reinitiate communications with a suspect after he invokes his right to counsel was to prevent the defendant from being badgered into waiving his rights). This Court applies the same standard in determining whether the police have violated a minor's Miranda rightswhere that minor's parents are persuaded to waive the right to counsel, after previously invoking itas is applied in determining whether an adult individual has freely waived their Miranda rights. Specifically, the standard is whether, under the totality of the circumstances, the court finds that the minor's parents have been coerced and intimidated in such a way that their will has been overborne. State v. Doe, 137 Idaho 519, 523, 50 P.3d 1014, 1018 (2002). Adamcik argues that after Shannon invoked his right to counsel, the detectives became angry and demanding, leaving Shannon and Sean with the impression that Adamcik would be taken into custody if the interview did not take place that night. The detectives denied this, testifying that they remained calm and sympathetic, as they wanted to gain Adamcik's cooperation. The district court made no factual finding concerning the respective credibility of the affidavits and testimony before it on this issue, assuming arguendo that the detectives had acted in the manner that Sean and Shannon asserted that they did. The district court stated: Even if the Detectives' alleged impatience with Sean and Shannon escalated into a frustrated or heated state, and the threat of their son's detention provoked Sean and Shannon into agreeing to go forward with the interview, the Court does not find either tactic to be one that would overbear their ability to voluntarily agree to allow the Detectives to question Torey without the presence of an attorney. As noted above, where substantial and competent evidence supports the district court's finding that a suspect knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waived his Miranda rights, this Court shall not disturb that finding on appeal. State v. Payne, 146 Idaho 548, 558, 199 P.3d 123, 133 (2008). Where the district court fails to make a determination on the credibility of competing testimony, instead assuming arguendo for purposes of answering a question of law that the version of events offered by one party is true, this Court will do likewise on appeal. Assuming the veracity of Shannon and Sean's affidavits, we find that the district court had substantial and competent evidence to support its finding that the conduct the detectives engaged in was not such that it would overbear Shannon and Sean's ability to voluntarily agree to waive Adamcik's right to counsel.