Opinion ID: 2345444
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Johnson's Letters from Prison

Text: Johnson's first argument is that during the guilt phase of his trial, the Superior Court erred when it denied his motion to suppress letters, written by Johnson to Stewart, while he was incarcerated awaiting trial. Stewart was Johnson's girlfriend at the time he was arrested. As a result of her conduct during the investigation of Hamelin's murder, Stewart was charged with, and convicted of, hindering Johnson's prosecution. At some point during the criminal proceedings against Stewart, she disclosed to Detective Ciritella, the chief investigating officer of the Hamelin murder, that Johnson was in contact with Truitt, Johnson's victim and the State's key witness at trial. According to Stewart, Truitt visited Johnson while he was incarcerated and also spoke with him over the telephone. Detective Ciritella confirmed that Johnson had been in contact with Truitt. In early December 2007, Detective Ciritella was unable to contact Truitt to discuss this matter. The Attorney General therefore issued a subpoena on December 6, 2007, directing the prison officials to give the State copies of all of Johnson's incoming and outgoing mail, beginning on the first date of his incarceration in this case, November 15, 2006. In early January 2008, Detective Ciritella heard from two informants who had recently been incarcerated in the same prison unit as Johnson. According to the informants, Johnson had been soliciting people to kill Truitt. Both informants stated that Johnson had instructed them to visit Stewart once they were released from prison, and that she would provide assistance in killing Truitt. At trial, the State wanted to submit into evidence letters written by Johnson to Stewart that ended with the phrase death before dishonor. According to the State, this phrase explains Johnson's motive for the attacks on Truitt and Hamelin. These letters were obtained pursuant to the Attorney General's subpoena: the Department of Corrections intercepted, opened and copied Johnson's mail, forwarding the copies to the Attorney General's office and sending the originals to the intended recipients. The Attorney General's subpoena did not, however, authorize the censorship or confiscation of his mail. Johnson has not alleged that any original mail was not eventually delivered to its intended recipient. Although the subpoena permitted the photocopying of all incoming and outgoing mail, Johnson has only challenged the State's use of five outgoing letters that Johnson sent to Stewart. The trial transcript indicates that one letter was dated December 13, 2007, and another was dated December 17, 2007, but the date of the other letters is not provided. Before trial, Johnson moved to suppress the letters he had written to Stewart from prison. After a suppression hearing at which Detective Ciritella testified, the trial judge denied Johnson's motion, ruling that the seizure was justified by the State's legitimate interest in ensuring that Truitt would be able and available to cooperate as a witness at trial. The State therefore offered these letters into evidence. During the time period in which the State inspected Johnson's mail pursuant to an Attorney General's subpoena [1] served upon prison officials, Johnson was a pre-trial detainee. Johnson's argument on appeal is that he had every reason to expect that his communications with Stewart were private. According to Johnson, the State has violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights.