Opinion ID: 2452839
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Repetition of Miranda Warnings

Text: The final issue regarding the suppression motion is whether Officer West should have repeated the Miranda warnings before he obtained Conner's second statement. In Wyrick v. Fields, 459 U.S. 42, 103 S.Ct. 394, 74 L.Ed.2d 214 (1982), the United States Supreme Court held that Miranda warnings must be repeated only when the circumstances have changed so seriously that the accused's answers are no longer voluntary, or the accused is no longer making a knowing and intelligent relinquishment or abandonment of his rights. Although a totality-of-the-circumstances test is required, the Court, in Wyrick , was particularly influenced by the fact that the accused initiated the second interrogation. We have also acknowledged that the lapse between warnings as well as the number of prior warnings are relevant concerns. See, e.g., Bryant v. State, 314 Ark. 130, 862 S.W.2d 215 (1993) (one-month lapse and five prior warnings); Barnes v. State, 281 Ark. 489, 665 S.W.2d 263 (1984) (three-day lapse and three prior warnings). In this case, Conner received the Miranda warnings approximately three hours before his second statement. We also find it persuasive that Conner initiated the second contact, which was more of an interview than an interrogation. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court's ruling that the officers were not required to repeat the Miranda warnings before Conner gave his second statement. For the reasons articulated above, we affirm the trial court's denial of Conner's motion to suppress both custodial statements.