Opinion ID: 853512
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Recorded telephone conversation

Text: Anthony Ferrari was a racing-industry friend and acquaintance of Albrecht and Cynthia. Ferrari spoke to police about statements Albrecht had made regarding Cynthia and Albrecht's desire to harm her. At the request of police, Ferrari called Albrecht, who was living in Florida at the time, and recorded their conversation. That conversation, which was admitted at trial over Albrecht's objection, recounted many of Albrecht's prior discussions with Ferrari. Albrecht contends that recording his conversation with Ferrari violated his right to counsel as articulated by the United States Supreme Court in Massiah v. United States, 377 U.S. 201, 84 S.Ct. 1199, 12 L.Ed.2d 246 (1964). Albrecht's reliance on Massiah is misplaced. In that case, the defendant had been indicted and was on bail when federal authorities surreptitiously listened to a pre-arranged, non-custodial conversation between the defendant and the accomplice. The Court held that the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated when authorities deliberately elicited comments from him after he had been indicted and in the absence of counsel. Id. at 206, 84 S.Ct. 1199. Thus, when authorities in Massiah solicited incriminating comments from the defendant via the accomplice, judicial proceedings had been initiated against him. That is not the case here. A defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel applies only to critical stages of the proceedings at or after the time that adversary judicial proceedings have been initiated against the defendant. Dullen v. State, 721 N.E.2d 241, 242 (Ind.1999), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 121 S.Ct. 118, 148 L.Ed.2d 73 (2000). Here, Albrecht's recorded conversation with Ferrari took place on December 4, 1992, well before adversarial proceedings were initiated against Albrecht. As such, his Sixth Amendment right to counsel was not violated. Furthermore, Albrecht's rights under Miranda were not implicated because he was clearly not in custody when the call was recorded. See Dye v. State, 717 N.E.2d 5, 14 (Ind.1999) ( Miranda warnings are required only in the context of custodial interrogation.), reh'g. denied, cert. pending. The trial court did not err in admitting the statement into evidence.