Opinion ID: 2022346
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admissibility of Incriminating Remarks

Text: Alvarado contends that a police officer's testimony reporting incriminating remarks Alvarado made while in custody should not have been admitted into evidence. According to the officer, Alvarado was read his Miranda rights and waived them. Alvarado then said several times that he shot Rodriguez because Rodriguez had disrespected him. Specifically, Alvarado claims that his Miranda rights were not properly administered, that the waiver was therefore ineffective, and that the remarks were therefore inadmissible. However, we need not reach the merits of Alvarado's claim for two reasons: Alvarado failed to object to the admission of the remarks at trial, and the remarks were not made as a result of police questioning and so did not require the procedural protection provided by the Miranda rights. When a defendant claims that a trial court admitted his custodial statements made without sufficient Miranda warnings, an objection must be made at trial when the statements are offered into evidence. Poulton v. State, 666 N.E.2d 390, 393 (Ind.1996); United States v. Udey, 748 F.2d 1231 (8th Cir. 1984); United States v. Caldwell, 954 F.2d 496, 500 (8th Cir.1992) (citing Udey ). Alvarado did not object to the admissibility of the remarks, thus his claim is waived. Nor is it clear that any objection would have been valid. The officer testified that Alvarado repeatedly volunteered the information and denied that he questioned Alvarado or took his statement. If so, the incriminating remarks were not made in response to express questioning or its functional equivalent and so did not require the protection of Miranda. Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 300-01, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 1689-90, 64 L.Ed.2d 297 (1980). Because there was no objection, the trial court made no finding on this point. It is precisely for that reason, among others, that an objection is required to avoid waiver of the claim.