Opinion ID: 2272453
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: J.F.'s Interrogation

Text: J.F. argues that the trial court erred in finding (a) that his police interrogation was not custodial, [7] and (b) that his confession to sexual assault was voluntary. We hold that while the first part of the interrogation, in which J.F. confessed to beating A.F., was not custodial, the second part of the interrogation, in which he confessed to sexually assaulting A.F., was custodial. Thus, the trial court erred in refusing to rule on the validity of J.F.'s waiver of his Miranda rights. We also agree that his confession to sexual assault was coerced. J.F. was interrogated for approximately three hours by both Sergeant Parker and Detective Duvall on September 17, 2004. Sgt. Parker testified that he picked up J.F. in plain clothes and in an unmarked car. J.F. was never handcuffed and he waited on a couch in the station lobby before meeting with the child psychologist who informed him of A.F.'s death. [8] Because the trial court found Sgt. Parker credible and the court's findings have a basis in the record, we accept them as true. In re J.H., 928 A.2d 643, 648 (D.C.2007). The interrogation can be reasonably divided into two portions, each of which we address in turn.