Opinion ID: 588451
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admissibility of Songer's Written Post-Arrest Statement

Text: 5 After Songer was arrested, a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and a Bristol, Virginia, police investigator met with Songer and advised him of his Miranda rights. 1 Songer then signed a written statement in which he said that he had a duplicate set of keys made while he was test driving the Mustang from G & S Auto Sales. Then he stated that he gave the duplicate keys to Ronald Hacker, who met Songer in Volga, West Virginia, with the car which Songer then drove to Ohio. 6 Songer asserts that this statement should not have been introduced into evidence because he did not voluntarily make it. 2 Songer claimed that he had been trying to cooperate with the police because he was concerned about his common law wife and son who he believed the police were detaining in a motel. Songer admitted that the police advised him about his constitutional rights and that he understood those rights. 7 The test for determining the voluntariness of a statement is whether, considering the totality of the circumstances, the police have overridden the will of the accused. Haynes v. Washington, 373 U.S. 503 (1963). Circumstances to consider in determining whether a confession was voluntary include the setting in which the confession was made, details of the interrogation itself, and the characteristics of the accused. Schneckloth v. Bustamonte, 412 U.S. 218, 226 (1973); United States v. Pelton, 835 F.2d 1067 (4th Cir. 1987), cert. denied, 486 U.S. 1010 (1988). Psychological coercion can render a confession involuntary. Arizona v. Fulminante, 59 U.S.L.W. 4235, 4237 (U.S. 1991); Blackburn v. Alabama, 361 U.S. 199, 206 (1960). 8 We find no evidence of coercion in this case. Songer admits being advised of and understanding his constitutional rights. Although Songer claims he gave the police a statement because they told him they would release his family, there is no corroborating evidence or even evidence that his family was ever detained. Accordingly, the district court did not err in admitting the statement.