Opinion ID: 2546714
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Failure to Move to Suppress Baumruk's Statements to Officer Salamon

Text: Baumruk alleges that the motion court clearly erred in overruling his claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to move to suppress statements made by Baumruk to Officer Steven Salamon, one of the police officers who arrested Baumruk. During the guilt phase of Baumruk's trial, Salamon testified that while he was handcuffing Baumruk, Baumruk asked him, Officer, did I get her, did I kill her? Salamon responded to Baumruk's question that he did not know. Baumruk then stated, God, I hope so. Baumruk claims that Salamon obtained this statement by interrogating him prior to reading him his Miranda rights. After an evidentiary hearing, the motion court overruled this claim because it found that the record made it clear that Baumruk's statement was unsolicited and not the product of a custodial interrogation. It concluded that a motion would have been overruled if filed. To trigger the requirements of the Miranda warnings, a suspect must not only be in custody, but the questioning must be initiated by law enforcement officers. State v. Glass, 136 S.W.3d 496, 510 (Mo. banc 2004). Voluntary statements are not the product of interrogation and, therefore, are not barred by the Fifth Amendment or Miranda. Gregg v. State, 446 S.W.2d 630, 632 (Mo.1969). Baumruk argues that his statements to Salamon were not voluntary. He claims that Salamon asked him about the shootings with the hopes of getting a dying declaration from him. He attempts to support this assertion with the testimony of Officer Robert Perry, who stated in his police report written on the day of the shooting that this is what Salamon hoped to do. During the Rule 29.15 evidentiary hearing, Perry stated that he could not recall whether he even took a statement from Salamon. Instead, he could only confirm that his report indicated that he had. Salamon denied making the statement in Perry's report. The motion court was presented with both the testimony of Salamon and Perry. Compared with this Court, the lower court had a superior opportunity to judge the credibility of both Salamon and Perry. Clayton v. State, 63 S.W.3d 201, 209 (Mo. banc 2001). This Court, therefore, will defer to the motion court's determination that Baumruk's statement to Salamon was voluntary. Id. Accordingly, Baumruk's counsel cannot be ineffective for failing to file a meritless motion. Hunter, 840 S.W.2d at 870.