Opinion ID: 745464
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Quinn's Motion To Suppress His Post-Arrest Statements

Text: 48 Quinn filed a pretrial motion to suppress his statements to Agent Kent on the grounds that Kent made improper inducements and threats to him and discouraged his obtaining an attorney. At the hearing, Quinn testified that he had been told that he was facing a 40-year sentence but might receive a more favorable sentence if he cooperated. He testified that he also had been told that it would be difficult to cooperate once an attorney had been appointed. He also suggested that he had not properly been advised of his Miranda rights; he stated that although his rights were read to him orally, the written waiver form that he signed had been obscured. 49 Agent Kent testified that the issue of the potential sentence arose only after Quinn asked Kent about it, and that he made a accurate estimate of Quinn's potential sentence: he predicted 25 years, and Quinn ultimately was sentenced to a 295-month term of incarceration. 7 [D]iscussions of realistic penalties ... are normally insufficient to preclude free choice. United States v. Mendoza-Cecelia, 963 F.2d 1467, 1475 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 964, 113 S.Ct. 436, 121 L.Ed.2d 356 (1992). Regarding Kent's discussion of Quinn's choice to obtain counsel, the government contends that Kent simply advised Quinn of the consequences that could flow from delaying any attempt at cooperation. We observe, in any event, that Quinn made no inculpatory statements after Kent's statement about obtaining counsel. 50 We review the district court's factual findings for clear error and review its application of law to facts de novo. United States v. Blackman, 66 F.3d 1572, 1577 (11th Cir.1995), cert. denied, 517 U.S. 1126, 116 S.Ct. 1365, 134 L.Ed.2d 531, and cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 117 S.Ct. 393, 136 L.Ed.2d 309 (1996). The district court adopted the report and recommendation of the magistrate judge, who concluded that Quinn's statement was voluntarily made, and, to the extent that Quinn's testimony conflicted with the finding that Agent Kent had made no threats to Quinn, it was not credible. The court also concluded that Quinn had been advised of his Miranda rights. 51 The admissibility of confessions is covered by 18 U.S.C. § 3501, which provides, in relevant part, that [i]n any criminal prosecution brought by the United States ... a confession ... shall be admissible in evidence if it is voluntarily given. 18 U.S.C. § 3501(a). We agree with the district court that Quinn's statement was made knowingly and voluntarily. We also conclude that Quinn's suggestion that the statement should have been suppressed because he was not adequately advised of his Miranda rights is without merit. Quinn himself testified that an agent read him his rights. The district court did not err in denying the motion to suppress.