Opinion ID: 2632308
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Assertions of the tight to counsel and to remain silent

Text: Defendant recognizes that under Davis v. United States (1994) 512 U.S. 452, 456, 459, 114 S.Ct. 2350, 129 L.Ed.2d 362 and People v. Crittenden (1994) 9 Cal.4th 83, 130-131, 36 Cal.Rptr.2d 474, 885 P.2d 887, a request for counsel must be unequivocal. He acknowledges that defendant's first statementI don't know if I should without a lawyeris at best an equivocal request for representation. He argues, however, that his statement Okay, that one made in response to Detective Allen's comment, makes the request for counsel unequivocal and constitutes an unequivocal assertion of the right to silence. We disagree. Defendant's statement, Okay, that one  implies a refusal to answer a particular question, perhaps Detective Gaylor's question asking defendant: [W]hat's your side of the story? What happened? Defendant did not assert a right to refuse to answer any questions, ask that the questioning come to a halt, or request counsel. Instead, he was showing that he knew he could refuse to answer any or all questions and would exercise this right on a question-by-question basis. From time to time in the interrogation he did refuse to answer specific questions. But the words defendant used, and his subsequent conduct, do not show that he wanted to stop the interrogation and bar all further questions. The case is analogous to People v. Silva (1988) 45 Cal.3d 604, 247 Cal.Rptr. 573, 754 P.2d 1070. There, the defendant waived Miranda rights and answered several questions, then refused to answer a question that might place him at the site where the murder victim was kidnapped. The interrogation continued, with the defendant answering some questions and not others. We concluded that the defendant's constitutional rights were not violated, because [a] defendant may indicate an unwillingness to discuss certain subjects without manifesting a desire to terminate `an interrogation already in progress.' (45 Cal.3d at pp. 629-630, 247 Cal.Rptr. 573, 754 P.2d 1070.) The same is true here.