Opinion ID: 2310561
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Nebraska Journalist's Interview of Joubert

Text: During Joubert's Maine trial, the court admitted the testimony of Nebraska journalist Mark Pettit who, in the course of gathering material for a book, had interviewed Joubert several times in prison in Nebraska. By Pettit's testimony, Joubert, in response to a question whether he had killed Ricky Stetson, said, I can't lie to you. I can't say I didn't do it. Joubert now argues that his statement should have been excluded because Pettit acted as an agent for the State and thus admission of his statements in the interviews violated his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights. We do not agree. The protections of those Amendments do not extend to a defendant's incriminating statement made to a private individual unless that individual is acting on behalf of the government or the statement results from police subterfuge or intimidation. See, e.g., Arizona v. Mauro, 481 U.S. 520, 526-30, 107 S.Ct. 1931, 1934-37, 95 L.Ed.2d 458 (1987); Maine v. Moulton, 474 U.S. 159, 177 n. 14, 106 S.Ct. 477, 488 n. 14, 88 L.Ed.2d 481 (1983). Contrary to Joubert's contention, Pettit was not motivated by an interest in advancing the police investigation; he did not exchange information with the police and did not provide them with any statements by Joubert. Pettit had no working relationship with the police, nor did the police ask him to discuss certain topics with or ask certain questions of Joubert. Rather, his purpose was entirely self-directed toward his goal of writing a book. Joubert, although he knew of Pettit's plan for a book, did not impose any restrictions on Pettit's use of his interview statements. Rather, he signed a release giving Pettit permission to talk with him and to use information from the interviews for any legitimate purpose. Joubert's reliance on Tarnef v. State, 512 P.2d 923 (Alaska 1973), is misplaced. In that case the putative agent worked closely with the police and had promised to turn over to them any statements he obtained from the prisoner. In contrast, Pettit was not working to further the case of the police against Joubert; he owed no obligation to the police. A private investigation into a crime, although facilitated by the police by giving the investigator access to a defendant held in custody or access to police files on the case, does not, without more, become state action. Pettit's prison interview of Joubert did not violate his Fifth or Sixth Amendment rights.