Opinion ID: 450796
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Statements at the Customs Office

Text: 22 The government finally challenges the suppression of incriminating statements made by Milian to Customs officials after he was taken from the scene of the arrest to the Customs office. Milian claims that these statements, some of which concerned the cocaine found in his office, were properly suppressed, as they were tainted by the illegal character of his arrest. As we hold that Milian's arrest was within the limits imposed by Payton, there is no basis for concluding that his statements at the Customs office were tainted. However, even if there had been misconduct in the initial arrest, it would not have affected the subsequent statements under the circumstances of the instant case. Not only did a full hour elapse between the arrest and the time at which the statements were made, but law enforcement officials had removed Milian from the scene of the arrest, and had administered the Miranda warnings on two separate occasions before the interview at the Customs office began. See Brown v. Illinois, 422 U.S. 590, 602-04, 95 S.Ct. 2254, 2261-62, 45 L.Ed.2d 416 (1975) (circumstances to be considered in determining whether statement was sufficiently an act of free will to purge the primary taint are temporal proximity of arrest and confession; presence of intervening circumstances; and purpose and flagrancy of official misconduct). Any compulsion Milian felt to speak at the Customs Office arose from the mistaken impression that cooperation might still be in his interests, not from the circumstances of his arrest. The district court erred in suppressing Milian's inculpatory statements. 23 The suppression orders of the district court are REVERSED and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.