Opinion ID: 70614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Use of statements to police

Text: 51 The state conceded in state court proceedings that the statements made by Strickland to police after his invocation of the right to an attorney were improperly elicited. The statements themselves were excluded in the second trial, but the derivative evidence was admitted. Strickland contends that the derivative evidence was inadmissible and that the state's use of it impelled him to testify, which otherwise he would not have done. 52 We agree with the Georgia Supreme Court and the district court that the use of the derivative evidence drawn from Strickland's in-custody statements was harmless beyond reasonable doubt under Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). 4 There was no question that Strickland had committed the killing and when and where he had done it and the use of a gun. Strickland had driven to the police station and reported the killing. The information he gave implied that he had full knowledge of it or somehow was involved. Strickland voluntarily went with police to the house where his wife's body lay to investigate the report. His jacket was found beside her body, with bullets in the pocket that matched those in her head. The discovery of bullets in Strickland's car and in the motel room was merely corroborative; they matched those found in his jacket beside the body and those found in the body itself. The details of purchase of the gun were not central. Strickland does not dispute that he took a gun to the crime scene, loaded and concealed in his jacket, and took it out and fired it. In the overall picture, when and how he came into actual possession of it after his first gun was seized is of modest significance. 5 53 The evidence of marital discord, of flagrant misconduct by the wife, of willingness of Strickland to commit violence because of that misconduct, of Strickland's intent to kill his wife as recorded in the letters, his possession of a second gun,--all of this predated the administration of the drugs. The pattern of shots fired into the wife's body was itself evidence of intent; an expert testified that the pattern of firing evidenced a methodical killing. 54 We have discussed in Part III the evidence of intent revealed by the testimony of the psychiatrist. 55 Application of the Chapman principle is mandated in this case.