Opinion ID: 53116
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: A federal grand jury indicted Middleton for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924 (a)(2). Middleton’s criminal record indicated that he had prior felony convictions for, among other charges, possession of marijuana. Testimony at Middleton’s jury trial established that, in the early morning hours of 24 October 2004, an officer 1 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602 (1966). 2 patrolling a Huddle House parking lot heard a series of gunshots and saw a car exiting the parking lot at a high speed. The officer pursued the vehicle with his patrol vehicle’s blue lights flashing, traveling at a speed of 75 to 80 miles per hour. The driver ignored the officer’s attempts to get him to pull over. After crashing into a building, the driver exited the car and ran. Another officer pursued and seized the driver, Middleton, and took him into custody. Subsequently, officers at the scene discovered a firearm 10 to 15 feet from where Middleton had been arrested. Investigator Claude Tilman Wade later testified that Middleton stated, during subsequent interrogation at the police station, that the firearm belonged to him. Prior to trial, Middleton filed a motion to suppress his post-arrest statement that the firearm was his, claiming that it was unclear from the record whether Investigator Wade had continued to question him at the police station after he had requested an attorney. He argued that if he had invoked his right to an attorney before his alleged admission had occurred, suppression of the statement was warranted under Miranda and its progeny. The government responded that the evidence would demonstrate that Middleton invoked his right to counsel after he made his inculpatory admission. At the suppression hearing, Middleton testified that he first spoke with 3 Investigator Wade at the police department, subsequent to his arrest, and that Investigator Wade did not tape the interview or take notes. Middleton also stated that Investigator Wade never warned him or advised him that he had the right to remain silent and to have an attorney present. Middleton testified that when Investigator Wade asked him about the shooting, Middleton stated that he did not know anything about it. Middleton stated that he asked for an attorney after Investigator Wade told him that somebody had made a statement implicating him in the shooting. He denied that he ever admitted to possessing a gun. Middleton testified that it was not the first time that he had been arrested, and he knew not to talk to the police. On cross-examination, Middleton testified that he was aware of his rights under Miranda, and that he had exercised them by not making a statement to Investigator Wade, other than to state that he knew nothing about the shooting. Investigator Wade, who was called by Middleton for the purpose of crossexamination, testified that he took brief notes that served as the basis of a report summarizing the interrogation. He testified that Middleton was in fact advised of his Miranda rights, but refused to sign a rights acknowledgment and waiver form, and that he requested counsel on his way back to the jail–after having made his inculpatory statement about owning the firearm found at the scene. Investigator 4 Wade testified that Middleton had asked for an attorney at the conclusion of the interview, when they “were almost out the door leaving the office.” R2 at 17. Specifically, Investigator Wade explained that he told Middleton at the conclusion of their interview that, if Middleton wished to talk to him later, he would bring him back to the station to make a formal statement, but that Middleton declined and then requested a lawyer, which was the first time that he had done so. On direct examination by the government, Investigator Wade testified that Middleton was cooperative and that “[t]here was no outward indication that he should not be interviewed.” Id. at 19. Investigator Wade reiterated that he read Middleton his Miranda warnings by going through a standard form that lists the Miranda rights “step by step.” Id. at 20-21. He testified that, after advising and explaining these rights, he asked Middleton if he understood his rights, to which Middleton replied that he did, but that he would not sign anything. Investigator Wade then stated that he told Middleton that the police had video evidence of him throwing the gun–a statement which was not true–and that Middleton then voluntarily admitted that the gun was his, but that he did not want to talk about the shooting. Upon hearing this information, Investigator Wade stated that he then told Middleton that “there were some other people there and there might be some circumstances that come up” that would make Middleton want to discuss the facts 5 surrounding the shooting, to which Middleton responded that he did not want to make a statement. Id. at 22. Investigator Wade testified that he was about to take Middleton back to the jail, because he did not want to discuss the incident. As they were getting ready to leave, Investigator Wade stated that Middleton repeatedly said, “look who got shot . . . . [w]hat if they had a gun?” Id. at 23. Investigator Wade responded that, if Middleton wanted to make a statement, Investigator Wade was ready to take it down. Middleton then declined, stating, for the first time, that he wanted to talk to a lawyer first. In deciding on Middleton’s suppression motion, the district court noted that there were “some sharp difference[s]” in Middleton’s and Investigator Wade’s accounts of the interrogation, but that Investigator Wade reduced his notes into an incident report and gave a “clear and cogent account of the interview which seems . . . to be more likely true than not true.” Id. at 25. Finding that the Miranda warnings had been given and that Middleton had made a subsequent incriminating statement, the district court denied Middleton’s motion to suppress his admission. Following a jury trial, Middleton was convicted and sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment.