Opinion ID: 1111189
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the confessions were obtained in violation of the appellant's right to counsel under the sixth amendment of the federal constitution and section 26 of the mississippi constitution.

Text: In this assignment Pinkney challenges the admissibility of his confession on Fifth and Sixth Amendment grounds. Pinkney's first contact with authorities occurred at about 3:30 p.m. on October 26, 1984. Pinkney was given Miranda warnings by Officer Leach and indicated that he understood them. Pinkney agreed to accompany the officers to David Richards' house. However, instead of going to David Richards' house, the officers stopped and waited for two investigators to catch up with them. These investigators were Officers Turcotte and Davis. When Turcotte and Davis arrived, Turcotte again advised Pinkney of his Miranda rights and then took Pinkney to his own home where Pinkney signed a consent form to search his house and vehicle. Pinkney went into his house and returned with a pair of boots, which appeared to the officers to have blood on them. Turcotte and Davis also found what appeared to them to be blood and possibly bone or flesh fragments on the floor mat of Pinkney's car. Pinkney was then handcuffed and again advised of his rights. Davis and Turcotte told Pinkney on the way to Jackson that he would be charged with the murder of Hickman. Upon arriving at the detention center, Pinkney was given supper and allowed to eat by himself, go to the bathroom and wash his face. He was then once again advised of his rights in detail and signed a consent to speak form. Pinkney then gave a detailed confession, which was tape recorded. Only Turcotte, Davis, and Pinkney were present at the confession. The taped confession was taken on Friday night. The following day (Saturday), Pinkney was again advised of his rights and signed another consent form. As the tape recorder would not work handwritten notes were taken. Afterward Pinkney signed the handwritten statement. On Monday, Pinkney was given a transcript of the tape recorded confession. He refused to sign this transcript and indicated that he wanted to talk to a lawyer. No further interrogations took place after Pinkney invoked his right to counsel. At the suppression hearing, Pinkney made allegations of coercion, and claimed that he was forced to sign a blank consent to search form. He also contended that he was physically intimidated, instructed on the content of his confession, and threatened with the gas chamber. Turcotte, Leach and Davis all testified and denied all of Pinkney's allegations. Pinkney contends that his Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated on the authority of Page v. State, 495 So.2d 436, 440 (Miss. 1986); and Cannady v. State, 455 So.2d 713 (Miss. 1984). The damaging confessions were made on the night of the arrest and the next day. The interplay between the Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to counsel (and their state equivalents) was gone into in great detail in Cannady and Page. Pinkney's argument fails because the facts of this case clearly show that Pinkney waived both his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights. Pinkney testified at length on this issue and his testimony is unconvincing. The trial judge committed no error in declining to suppress the statements. The evidence simply does not support Pinkney's claim that these rights were not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived. The State complied with Agee v. State, 185 So.2d 671 (Miss. 1966), and met its burden under Cannady and Page.