Opinion ID: 723208
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendant's Statements to Police

Text: 18 Defendant contends that his statement made at the scene that he owned the car should be suppressed. Specifically, Defendant asserts that the police conducted a custodial interrogation without advising him of his Miranda rights when they questioned him about the ownership of the car while he lay face down with his hands cuffed behind his back. The District Court held that any statements need not be suppressed because the police query was for routine biographical information and the detention was not custodial in nature. The finding by the District Court that Defendant was not in custody for purposes of giving Miranda warnings is clearly erroneous. Because the information obtained in violation of Defendant's Fifth Amendment rights was cumulative of other evidence, however, we hold the error harmless. 19 Miranda warnings are required where there is an arrest or a restraint on freedom of movement to the degree associated with a formal arrest. United States v. Sangineto-Miranda, 859 F.2d 1501, 1515 (6th Cir.1988). This is a fact-specific inquiry. Defendant here was handcuffed, face down in the yard with officers pointing guns at him. It would not appear to Defendant, or to anyone else, that he was free to go. Defendant here was clearly in custody even if not formally under arrest. Under the circumstances, therefore, the Defendant should have been read his Miranda rights before being questioned about the car. 20 A determination as to whether Defendant was in custody does not end the inquiry, however, and is not dispositive to the issue here. To determine if the statement about the car's ownership should be suppressed, it must be determined if the question put to Defendant by the police constituted an interrogation. 21 The Supreme Court has stated that interrogation is any words or actions on the part of the police that the police know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect. Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 301 (1980). The Court went on to state that whether police conduct constituted interrogation turned on a defendant's perception of the police conduct and, as measured from the police perspective, the reasonable likelihood that such conduct would illicit an inculpatory response. Id. & n. 7; see also United States v. Soto, 953 F.2d 263, 264-65 (6th Cir.1992); United States v. Avery, 717 F.2d 1020, 1024-25 (6th Cir.1983) (scrutinizing particular factual setting to conclude no interrogation), cert. denied, 466 U.S. 905 (1984). 22 The government contends that because the police had not yet recovered the cocaine when they asked who owned the car, they were not attempting to elicit an incriminating response. However, the drug-sniffing dog had already indicated the presence of drugs in the car, the door panel had been removed and the officers could see a clear plastic bag within. While it may be true that the police did not have the cocaine in their possession, they undoubtedly were almost 100% certain at this point that they had found drugs. 23 The government also argues that Defendant Thompson was not in custody because he had not been arrested yet. However, as described above, Defendant was handcuffed face down on the ground, probably could not leave even if he asked to do so at that point and likely believed that he was compelled to answer the question given the circumstances. 24 The government further argues that the question was routine biographical questioning and no more personal or incriminating than asking for defendant's telephone number.... Government brief at 13. Given that the police knew they had found a large quantity of drugs, asking the question at that point seems more incriminating than asking for phone numbers. It is unclear from the record whether Defendant knew that the police had actually located the drugs when they asked the assembled group who owned the car. Under the circumstances, Defendant was subjected to a custodial interrogation and was entitled to be advised of his Miranda rights. 25 Despite the erroneous finding, the error concerning the questioning of Defendant about the car's ownership is not reversible error. The police executing the warrant ran a registration check on the car on the premises and determined that its owner was Defendant. The statement by Defendant that he owned the car was therefore information that the police discovered soon in any event and under the cumulative evidence rule it should not be suppressed. United States v. Mahar, 801 F.2d 1477, 1501 (6th Cir.1986). Because Defendant does not dispute the fact of his ownership of the car containing the contraband, his guilty plea is supported by substantial evidence and is not affected by our finding of error regarding the questioning. 26 As to the statement given by Defendant 36 hours after his arrest that the cocaine found in the car belonged to him and that he was a crack dealer, it does not appear that the earlier events at the scene tainted the statement. Defendant had been advised of his Miranda rights and the event was far enough removed in time from the arrest that any taint was removed. Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471 (1963). 27 For the foregoing reasons, the opinion of the District Court is affirmed.