Opinion ID: 1298407
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the voluntariness of taylor's statement

Text: 2. Despite our decision that Taylor's statement must be suppressed, we must still determine whether Taylor's statement was voluntary because that issue may affect our decision on the admissibility of the gun. Taylor argues that Captain Simmons held out a hope of benefit to induce her to confess by saying that he would help her in every way [he could], telling her it might look good to a judge if she admitted her role in the crimes rather than lie, and also telling her that she had a golden opportunity to help herself. A violation of a suspect's rights under Edwards v. Arizona does not mean that the suspect's ensuing statement was involuntary. [13] Under Georgia law, [t]o make a confession admissible, it must have been made voluntarily, without being induced by another by the slightest hope of benefit or remotest fear of injury. [14] Generally, the reward of a lighter sentence for confessing is the hope of benefit to which the statute refers. [15] Based on our review of the record, we conclude that Taylor's statement was not elicited by a hope of benefit. It is not improper for the police to encourage a suspect to help herself by telling the truth. [16] It also does not render a statement involuntary for the police to tell a suspect that the trial judge may consider her truthful cooperation with the police. [17] Captain Simmons's comment that he would try to help Taylor in every way he could came in the context of Taylor's concerns over the custody of her children and did not refer to any possible sentence she might receive. The videotape also reveals that Taylor was not threatened or coerced and that the interview lasted only one hour. Taylor asked for medication during the interview and said she was manic-depressive, but she appeared to be lucid and sober and Captain Simmons sent an officer to retrieve her medicine. The trial court did not err by ruling that the State had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that Taylor's statement was voluntary. [18]