Opinion ID: 2633125
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Review of Findings of Fact

Text: As a reviewing court, we will not overturn a trial court's findings of historical fact provided they are supported by competent evidence in the record. See Aguilar-Ramos, 86 P.3d at 400. Rather, we have consistently found that when supported by competent evidence, the trial court's findings of fact are binding on this court. See, e.g., Jiminez, 863 P.2d at 985 (collecting cases). This is because [a]ppellate courts are not the appropriate forum to resolve factual discrepancies or to determine the credibility of witnesses. Mejia-Mendoza, 965 P.2d at 780. Therefore, we only review de novo the ultimate determination of whether a defendant validly waived his or her Miranda rights, which is an application of the law to the facts as found by the trial court. Aguilar-Ramos, 86 P.3d at 400-01. In ruling that Redgebol did not knowingly and intelligently waive his rights and that Detective Frederickson did not scrupulously honor Redgebol's request for an attorney, the trial court made significant factual findings. Based on our careful review of the record, summarized in part II above, we find considerable support for the trial court's findings; therefore, they are binding on this court. The findings are confirmed in particular by the testimony of the translator Abyei at the suppression hearing, revealing that she herself did not understand the Miranda rights which she was entrusted with interpreting correctly for Redgebol. Further, our review of the audio recording supports the trial court's findings that Abyei failed to perform adequately as an interpreter, that there was frequent miscommunication between the parties indicated by Redgebol's nonsensical answers to the detective's questions, that Redgebol functioned at a limited intellectual level based on his background and lack of schooling, and that Redgebol made an unambiguous request for counsel which Detective Frederickson did not honor. In sum, we defer here to the trial court's findings of fact that are well supported by evidence in the record and accept them as binding on this court.