Opinion ID: 1088560
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the court erred in overruling defendant's motion to suppress the statements of the defendant.

Text: As a general rule the confession of an insane person cannot be admitted into evidence because he cannot waive his constitutional right. Hollins v. State, 340 So.2d 438, 441 (Miss. 1976); Williamson v. State, 330 So.2d 272, 276 (Miss. 1976); and Harvey v. State, 207 So.2d 108, 116 (Miss. 1968). Harvey held that a confession cannot be admitted into evidence if it is apparent that the defendant is not mentally capable of understanding the gravity of the charge against him or the meaning of the waiver of his constitutional rights. In qualification of the general rule, the Court further said in Harvey, However, it has been pointed out by the various courts that manifestly the will of a person who is of weak intellect or mentally deficient may be more easily overcome than that of one who is more intelligent; still, until it is shown that a weakminded person has been over-reached to the end that he has divulged that which he would not have divulged had he not been overreached, his voluntary confession is admissible. 20 Am. Jur. Evidence § 522 (1939). Id. at 116. At his extradition hearing in Louisiana, the New Orleans judge advised Billiot of his Miranda rights, [ Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966)], and advised the four officers who were transporting Billiot back to Mississippi not to talk with the appellant. Notwithstanding this, during the return trip to Hancock County, Mississippi, Billiot made numerous statements concerning the details of the crime and did this in spite of repeated warnings by the four law enforcement officials that they could not speak with him and that he should not be speaking with them. One of the officers did ask Billiot if he knew why he was going back to Mississippi, though this question was asked in conjunction with a statement that the officers did not want to talk with the appellant. At the suppression hearing there was also considerable expert medical testimony. Billiot had been subjected to a mental examination at the State Hospital at Whitfield to determine whether he was criminally responsible. The report issued was in the form of a majority report which indicated that Billiot was criminally responsible and a minority report which indicated that on November 26, 1981, Billiot was not criminally responsible. It was further established that Billiot had an I.Q. of 91, which is within the average range. He also scored 88 on the Georgia Court Competency Test which is well within the competency range. The majority report was also of the opinion that Billiot was competent to stand trial. However, the author of the majority opinion, Dr. A.G. Anderson, testified that he could not say whether Billiot would be able to understand and appreciate the Miranda warnings or statements made thereafter. There was also testimony that in July, 1979, and January, 1982, appellant was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic with paranoid delusions by at least four doctors. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court found beyond a reasonable doubt that the statements were freely and voluntarily given. The evidence on this record is that Billiot is of average intelligence and while it indicates that he was paranoid schizophrenic it also showed that he was competent to stand trial and that he was aware of the legal processes surrounding him and their consequences. There is no evidence that Billiot was overreached and we conclude that Billiot knowingly and intelligently, within the meaning of those two terms, waived his Miranda rights in making the statements complained of.