Opinion ID: 1922618
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Voluntariness of Lockhart's Statements

Text: [¶ 29] Lockhart also contends that the Superior Court should have granted his motion to suppress because his confessions at the police station, hospital, and county jail were involuntary. Whether a confession is voluntary is primarily a question of fact, ... [and] we review the suppression judge's resolution of factual issues deferentially under the clear error standard. Coombs, 1998 ME 1, ¶ 7, 704 A.2d at 389-90. However, the application of legal principles to the factual findings is reviewed de novo. Id. ¶ 8, 704 A.2d at 390. A voluntary statement is one that `is the result of defendant's exercise of his [or her] own free will and rational intellect,' as opposed to one that results from `threats, promises or inducements made to the defendant.' State v. McCarthy, 2003 ME 40, ¶ 12, 819 A.2d 335, 340 (quoting State v. Sawyer, 2001 ME 88, ¶¶ 8-9, 772 A.2d 1173, 1175-76). [¶ 30] The State has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the confession and statements were voluntarily made. McCarthy, 2003 ME 40, ¶ 12, 819 A.2d at 340. The suppression judge must consider the totality of the circumstances in determining whether a confession is voluntary.... Coombs, 1998 ME 1, ¶ 7, 704 A.2d at 389. The following factors are considered when analyzing the totality of the circumstances surrounding a confession: the details of the interrogation; duration of the interrogation; location of the interrogation; whether the interrogation was custodial; the recitation of Miranda warnings; the number of officers involved; the persistence of the officers; police trickery; threats, promises or inducements made to the defendant; and the defendant's age, physical and mental health, emotional stability, and conduct. Sawyer, 2001 ME 88, ¶ 9, 772 A.2d at 1176.
[¶ 31] Lockhart contends that he was too emotionally hysterical and too physically upset that evening to be able to make statements of his own free will and rational intellect. However, application of the Sawyer factors to the statements Lockhart made before he was administered Miranda reveal the following: Lockhart initiated contact with the officers by coming voluntarily to the station; without any questioning, he repeatedly stated that he had killed or thought he had killed Andrea; the almost two-hour waiting period involved only four questions from officers, three of which were about Andrea's whereabouts; while there were three officers involved, no more than one was with Lockhart at a time; there have been no allegations or signs of any trickery, threats, promises, or inducements; Lockhart was thirty-four years old; and he was, at times, visibly hysterical and uncontrollably shaking. Although Lockhart was intermittently hysterical, the Superior Court did not err in concluding that his statements were voluntary because he demonstrated free will and rational thought by initiating the contact with the police, responding appropriately to the handful of questions asked of him, and waiting over a period in excess of two hours without major incident while the police sought to determine Andrea's whereabouts. [¶ 32] Application of the Sawyer factors to the statements Lockhart made after the administration of a Miranda warning reveal the following: throughout the custodial interrogation at the station, the detective spoke in a calm, unthreatening tone; the interrogation lasted about twenty minutes; the detective recited the Miranda warnings and Lockhart demonstrated his understanding by stating the rights in his own words; the one officer who was involved did not persist in asking questions that Lockhart did not want to answer and, instead, reassured him that it was okay when he did not want to answer questions; there are no allegations or signs of any police trickery, threats, promises, or inducements; and Lockhart rocked and sobbed and moaned during the interrogation. Although Lockhart was quite upset during this interrogation, he was responsive to some of the detective's questions and chose not to answer other questions, demonstrating the exercise of his own free will and rational intellect.
[¶ 33] Lockhart contends that his off-hand remark to Detective Pickering at the Maine Coast Memorial Hospital was involuntary and should have been suppressed because he was under the influence of Ativan, a mood-altering drug. The State responds that Lockhart's remark was voluntary because he had received only a low to medium dose of Ativan, and there is no indication that the dose turned Lockhart into someone who was chatty and euphoric. The fact that an individual is mildly sedated does not, standing alone, establish that any statement he or she makes is no longer the product of a free will and rational intellect. State v. Bleyl, 435 A.2d 1349, 1360-61 (Me.1981). The Superior Court did not err in concluding that Lockhart's ingestion of Ativan did not affect his ability to make voluntary statements.