Opinion ID: 2072845
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: suppression of hospital statement

Text: Appellant contends that his statements at the hospital should have been suppressed because he was visibly intoxicated and in severe pain; and therefore, could not have entered a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver of his right against self-incrimination. We cannot agree. Nowhere in the record does it appear that appellant was formally arrested or subjected to conditions of detention functionally equivalent to arrest prior to or during the interview in the hospital emergency room which produced the statements appellant sought to suppress. Indeed, in what appears to be an exercise of compassion and forebearance in light of the tragic death of appellant's friend, the officer merely issued appellant a citation on February 19, 1987, and a summons on February 20, 1987. Appellant was not formally arrested on any charge relating to this incident until the day of his preliminary arraignment on March 4, 1987. Thus, it appears that appellant was not taken into custody, and therefore, no Miranda waiver was required. See Pennsylvania v. Bruder, 488 U.S. ___, 109 S.Ct. 205, 102 L.Ed.2d 172 (1988); Commonwealth v. Gonzalez, 519 Pa. 116, 124-125, 546 A.2d 26, 30 (1988); Commonwealth v. Ellis, 379 Pa.Super. 337, 356, 549 A.2d 1323, 1328-34 (1988) (collecting cases). Moreover, there is sufficient evidence to sustain the trial court's conclusions that full and correct Miranda warnings were given, and that a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver was made. Recent United States Supreme Court cases have made it clear that a Miranda waiver is valid as a matter of law if: full and correct Miranda warnings are given; the suspect has sufficient capacity to understand the warnings; and the suspect's decision to waive his rights was not the product of official/governmental coercion. See Colorado v. Spring, 479 U.S. 564, 107 S.Ct. 851, 93 L.Ed.2d 954 (1987); Connecticut v. Barrett, 479 U.S. 523, 107 S.Ct. 828, 93 L.Ed.2d 920 (1987); Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 107 S.Ct. 515, 93 L.Ed.2d 473 (1986); Moran v. Burbine, 475 U.S. 412, 106 S.Ct. 1135, 89 L.Ed.2d 410 (1986); see also Berger, Compromise and Continuity: Miranda Waivers, Confession Admissibility, and the Retention of Interrogation Protections, 49 U.Pitt.L.Rev. 1007, 1007-64 (1988) (analyzing the above cases, reaching the same conclusion, and characterizing the result as a reasonable effort to achieve a balance); Boyle, Waiving Miranda Goodbye?, 21 Creighton L.Rev. 239, 239-63 (1987) (analyzing the above cases, reaching the same conclusion, and characterizing the result as constitutionally sound). While some commentators have criticized the narrow focus of the United States Supreme Court's construction of Miranda 's requirement of a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver, they nonetheless concede that the Supreme Court has in fact narrowed the focus in the manner suggested above. See e.g. Dix, Federal Constitutional Confession Law, 67 Tex.L. Rev. 231, 231-349 (1988); Shultz,  Officer, What's the Charge? , 30 Ariz.L.Rev. 551, 551-70 (1988); Gehring, Colorado v. Connelly: The Demise of Free Will as an Independent Basis for Finding a Confession Involuntary, 33 Vill.L.Rev. 895, 895-923 (1988). Here, appellant contends that his Miranda waiver could not be deemed to have been made voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently because he was intoxicated and in severe pain. If his intoxication and the pain combined to render him incapable of understanding the Miranda warnings, his waiver would in fact be invalid. See e.g. Commonwealth v. Cephas, 361 Pa.Super. 160, 522 A.2d 63 (1987); Commonwealth v. Anderl, 329 Pa.Super. 69, 477 A.2d 1356 (1984). Likewise, appellant must also have known what he was saying, and have intended to say it. Commonwealth v. Edwards, 521 Pa. 134, 148-149, 555 A.2d 818, 825 (1989). However, there is no per se rule of suppression based upon a mere showing of cognitive impairment. See Commonwealth v. Jones, 457 Pa. 423, 322 A.2d 119 (1974); Commonwealth v. Cephas, supra, 522 A.2d at 66 (Olszewski, J. concurring). Rather, when evidence of impairment is present, it is for the suppression court to decide whether the Commonwealth has established by a preponderance of the evidence that the suspect nonetheless had sufficient cognitive awareness to understand the Miranda warnings and to choose to waive his rights. See Commonwealth v. Edwards, supra, 555 A.2d at 826; Commonwealth v. Stark, 363 Pa.Super. 356, 526 A.2d 383 (1987); Commonwealth v. Devereaux, 304 Pa.Super. 327, 450 A.2d 704 (1982). In Cephas and Anderl, the suppression court found that the prosecution failed to meet its burden. Here, on the other hand, the suppression court held that the burden was met. As the suppression court's finding is fully supported by the investigating officer's testimony, we find no error or abuse of discretion in the trial court's decision not to exclude the statements. Cf. Commonwealth v. Edwards, supra, 555 A.2d at 826-827. Hence, appellant's second contention is found to be without merit.