Opinion ID: 1914912
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Post-Miranda Statement

Text: Because of the coercion inherent in custodial interrogations, a suspect must be warned prior to any questioning that he has the right to remain silent, that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 479, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). [22] Statements obtained in the absence of a Miranda warning are, with certain exceptions, inadmissible. Id. But when a suspect's initial statement is obtained in violation of Miranda, the admissibility of a subsequent statement made after Miranda warnings is governed by Oregon v. Elstad, 470 U.S. 298, 105 S.Ct. 1285, 84 L.Ed.2d 222 (1985). The Court in Elstad concluded that in the absence of actual coercion, a Miranda violation need not bar the admission in evidence of subsequent, properly warned statements. Elstad, 470 U.S. at 309, 105 S.Ct. 1285. The Court reasoned that errors in the administration of Miranda procedures should not breed the same irremediable consequences as police infringement of the Fifth Amendment. It is an unwarranted extension of Miranda to hold that simple failure to administer the warnings, unaccompanied by any actual coercion or other circumstances calculated to undermine the suspect's ability to exercise his free will, so taints the investigatory process that a subsequent voluntary and informed waiver is ineffective for some indeterminate period. Though Miranda requires that the unwarned admission must be suppressed, the admissibility of any subsequent statement should turn in these circumstances solely on whether it is knowingly and voluntarily made. Id. The Elstad Court said that the subsequent administration of Miranda warnings to a suspect who has given a voluntary but unwarned statement ordinarily should suffice to remove the conditions that precluded admission of the earlier statement. Elstad, 470 U.S. at 314, 105 S.Ct. 1285. The Court continued, stating that [i]n such circumstances, the finder of fact may reasonably conclude that the suspect made a rational and intelligent choice whether to waive or invoke his rights. Id. The admissibility of the second or subsequent statement is decided by reviewing the totality of the circumstances: [T]he finder of fact must examine the surrounding circumstances and the entire course of police conduct with respect to the suspect in evaluating the voluntariness of his statements. The fact that a suspect chooses to speak after being informed of his rights is, of course, highly probative. Id. at 318, 105 S.Ct. 1285. We follow the Elstad rule. State v. Scott, 584 N.W.2d 412, 419 (Minn. 1998); State v. Moorman, 505 N.W.2d 593, 600 (Minn.1993). The voluntariness of a statement depends on the totality of the circumstances. State v. Patricelli, 357 N.W.2d 89, 92 (Minn.1984); State v. Jungbauer, 348 N.W.2d 344, 346 (Minn.1984). Relevant factors include the defendant's age, maturity, intelligence, education and experience, as well as the defendant's ability to comprehend. Jungbauer, 348 N.W.2d at 346 (citing State v. Linder, 268 N.W.2d 734, 735-36 (Minn.1978)). The nature of the interrogation is also relevant, including its length and surrounding circumstances, and whether the defendant was denied any physical needs or access to friends. Id. A statement is involuntary if police actions were so coercive, manipulative and overpowering as to `deprive[] [a suspect] of his ability to make an unconstrained and wholly autonomous decision to speak as he did.' State v. Ritt, 599 N.W.2d 802, 809 (Minn.1999) (quoting State v. Pilcher, 472 N.W.2d 327, 334 (Minn.1991)). The trial court resolves testimonial disputes as to the historical facts, and the appellate court independently determines, on the basis of all factual findings that are not clearly erroneous, whether or not the confession was voluntary. State v. Anderson, 396 N.W.2d 564, 565 (Minn.1986) (citing Miller v. Fenton, 474 U.S. 104, 106 S.Ct. 445, 88 L.Ed.2d 405 (1985); State v. Linder, 268 N.W.2d 734 (Minn.1978); Doan v. State, 306 Minn. 89, 234 N.W.2d 824 (1975)). Here, in considering the totality of the circumstances on the facts as found by the district court, in my view, Bailey's statements were voluntary. Bailey was 29 years old. He had significant prior experience with the criminal justice system, including Miranda warnings and waivers of those rights in connection with offenses dating back to the early 1970's. He had recently been released from prison and he informed the police that he was familiar with the law, having had access to the prison law library. The administration of the Miranda warning before the third statement was careful and complete. Although in custody, Bailey was not subject to any physical deprivations and was allowed to smoke cigarettes during his statements at the police station. The entire transaction, from the detention on the street to the end of the third statement at the police station, lasted only about an hour and a half. In addition, given that [Bailey] did not in fact confess, it cannot be said that [his] will was overborne by the [police] questioning. State v. Mills, 562 N.W.2d 276, 284 (Minn.1997) (citing Pilcher, 472 N.W.2d at 334 (That he adhered to this woven tapestry of lies shows that Pilchers will was not overborne.)). The majority distinguishes Elstad, noting that unlike the suspect in Elstad, Bailey was apprehended under coercive circumstances. [A]bsent deliberately coercive or improper tactics in obtaining the initial statement, the mere fact that a suspect has made an unwarned admission does not warrant a presumption of compulsion. Elstad, 470 U.S. at 314, 105 S.Ct. 1285. The circumstances of Baileys arrest on probable cause for a homicide only established his custodial status and the need for a Miranda warning; furthermore, the location of the initial questioning did not rise to the level necessary to nullify the voluntariness of Baileys statements. Cf. United States v. Doe, 149 F.3d 634, 639 (7th Cir.1998) ( Miranda waiver and confession voluntary despite defendant being questioned while handcuffed in police car). Here, the district court found that the police did not use deliberately coercive or improper tactics in obtaining Baileys statements. As for the majority's reliance on the similarity of the warned and unwarned statements as bearing on the admissibility of the warned statement, it seems to me that kind of analysis comes very close to embracing the taint or cat-out-of-the-bag analysis rejected by Elstad, 470 U.S. at 303-04, 105 S.Ct. 1285; see also Scott, 584 N.W.2d at 419 (recognizing that the traditional taint analysis does not apply to Miranda violations). Finally, regarding the majority's reliance on the absence of a significant pause between the unwarned and warned statements, that too comes close to the break-in-the-stream-of-events analysis also rejected by Elstad, 470 U.S. at 310, 105 S.Ct. 1285. [23] Inasmuch as the district courts findings related to the voluntariness of both the unwarned and warned statements are not clearly erroneous, in considering the totality of the circumstances, the unwarned and warned statements were voluntary. In the words of the court that ruled on the same issue in connection with the original indictment in 1984, [i]t would be sheer fiction to conclude otherwise. Before the warning of his rights, [Bailey] said the check was for work on the victims yard and car. After the warning of his rights, rights which he knew, he said the check was for work on the victims yard and car. His explanation was voluntary. The decision of the district court to admit the post- Miranda statement should be affirmed.