Opinion ID: 2978826
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Admissibility of Warlick’s Confession

Text: Warlick argues that his statement was a product of coercion. For his statement to have been admissible, Warlick had to “voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently” waive his right to remain silent. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444 (1966). To make this determination, this court must look at the totality of the circumstances to ascertain whether Warlick made an uncoerced choice and 6 whether he possessed the required level of comprehension. Moran v. Burbine, 475 U.S. 412, 421 (1986) (quoting Fare v. Michael C., 442 U.S. 707, 725 (1979)). Factors to consider in this analysis include “the age, education and intelligence of the suspect; whether the suspect was advised of his Miranda rights; the length of the questioning; and the use of physical punishment or the deprivation of food, sleep or other creature comforts.” Jackson v. McKee, 525 F.3d 430, 433-34 (6th Cir. 2008) (citing Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 226 (1973)). The Michigan courts reasonably determined that Warlick’s statement was not a product of coercion. At the suppression hearing on this issue, Officer Jackson and Warlick testified about the events that led to the statement. Warlick testified that he was promised that the police would mention his help to the prosecutor if he cooperated. Officer Jackson testified that no threats, coercion, or promises were made to gain Warlick’s cooperation. Based on this testimony and the judge’s own observations, the judge decided that the statement was admissible. The judge noted that Officer Jackson thoroughly instructed Warlick of his rights, Warlick’s demeanor and educational level made it appear that he was knowledgeable about his rights, and Warlick gave his statement freely, voluntarily, and knowingly. The Michigan Court of Appeals deferred to the trial judge’s credibility determination and employed a reasonable analysis under Miranda and its progeny to support the admittance of Warlick’s statement.