Opinion ID: 1475144
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Miranda Issue

Text: In Miranda, the Supreme Court established that statements made by an accused while in police custody are inadmissible ... unless the police prior to questioning, warn him that he `... has the right to the presence of an attorney ...' Di Giovanni v. United States, 810 A.2d 887, 891 (D.C.2002) (quoting In re M.A.C., 761 A.2d 32, 35 (D.C.2000)). The warnings also include the right to terminate questioning if an accused desires to speak with an attorney after initially agreeing to waive that right. Id. Moreover, although the accused may waive his rights provided by Miranda and provide a statement to the police, `[w]hen a defendant challenges the admissibility of such a statement, the government has the burden of proving that the waivers of privilege against self-incrimination and the right to counsel were made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily.' Id. at 892. (quoting In re M.A.C., supra, 761 A.2d at 36). Thus, the government bears a heavy burden to show: (a) that the defendant understood that in fact he had a right to the presence of counsel during an interrogation, ... and (b) that the defendant intentionally relinquished or abandoned that `known right.' Id. (quoting Shreeves v. United States, 395 A.2d 774, 778 (D.C.1978)). To determine whether the government has satisfied its heavy burden, we look to the totality of the circumstances. Id. After examining the particular facts and circumstances surrounding [Mr. Mesa's] case, Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 482, 101 S.Ct. 1880, 68 L.Ed.2d 378 (1981) (citations omitted), and the totality of the circumstances, Di Giovanni, supra, 810 A.2d at 892, reflected in the record before us, we are confident that Mr. Mesa was instructed properly regarding his Miranda rights, that he understood he had a right to an attorney during the police interrogation, and that he intentionally chose to waive this right and to continue the interrogation without the help of counsel. As the trial court found, Mr. Mesa approached the police because he wanted to get [something] off his chest. He was given his full Miranda rights at police headquarters through skilled full-time Gallaudet interpreters trained in giving Miranda rights in American Sign Language. He was a college student, who readily understood English, and he waived his Miranda rights by knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily signing a PD-47 waiver form. Therefore, the trial court did not err in rejecting Mr. Mesa's Miranda argument and in denying his motion to suppress. Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. [18] So ordered.