Opinion ID: 220256
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Waltower’s Post-Arrest Statements

Text: Finally, Waltower challenges the use at trial of the selfincriminating statements that he made to Officer Greenwood regarding the gun and the drugs that were found in the apartment. The vast majority of his brief devotes itself to establishing that he has not waived the issue, that we may consider his argument on a plain error standard. In arguing about the standard of review, however, Waltower has paid insufficient attention to the merits. In a single paragraph at the end of his brief, he maintains that his trial counsel “should have alleged that the statements were inadmissible on the ground that the officers on the scene failed to advise him either before or after his arrest of his Miranda rights . . . .” Appellant’s Brief at 49. That reads like an ineffective assistance of counsel argument. If so, the undeveloped nature of the record provides robust if unintentional support for the general rule that such a challenge is best left for a collateral 16 No. 09-3967 attack on the conviction. See Massaro v. United States, 538 U.S. 500, 504 (2003) (“In light of the way our system has developed, in most cases a motion brought under [28 U.S.C.] § 2255 is preferable to direct appeal for deciding claims of ineffective assistance.”). Even construing Waltower’s argument as a contention that his statements were un-Mirandized and applying his favored standard of review, his case founders on the merits. Waltower points to no evidence indicating that he was not given Miranda warnings. Nor does he maintain that the error affected his substantial rights; there was other evidence that pointed to his guilt, including the testimony of his ex-girlfriend who said that the gun belonged to Waltower and mail addressed to Waltower that was located at the apartment. He has not established any error, much less error that is plain.