Opinion ID: 1722174
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Suppression of October 27 statement

Text: Rector Chief of Police Tommy Baker drove Mr. Hodge from Rector to Corning for a hearing on October 27, 1995. There is no evidence that Chief Baker initiated any conversation with Mr. Hodge by asking a question of him. To the contrary, Chief Baker testified that Mr. Hodge insisted on speaking to him even though he told Mr. Hodge that his lawyers would not want him to do so. During the trip, Mr. Hodge asked if the gun had been found. The Chief replied that it had not. Mr. Hodge indicated he could show the police the location of the holster he had discarded from the car driven by David Gunn shortly after the pistol was stolen from Mr. Flick's shop. He said it was across from the cemetery. Chief Baker asked, Across where, and Mr. Hodge explained further. The Chief and a State Police officer went to the cemetery and found the holster where Mr. Hodge said it would be. Mr. Hodge contends that the statement and the holster should have been suppressed because the Chief initiated the conversation without giving any warning and steered the conversation and interrogated Mr. Hodge. The evidence is simply to the contrary. In addition, Mr. Hodge testified at his trial that he had David Gunn throw the holster out of the car in which they were riding because it made the gun too bulky. There clearly was no unfair prejudice resulting from the introduction of the holster into evidence.