Opinion ID: 2442105
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Overnight Interrogation

Text: In order to determine whether appellant initiated the resumption of his interrogation and validly waived his rights, I consider it imperative not to gloss over the details of his treatment by the police. It is possible to recount those details with accuracy because appellant's interrogations were videotaped. Appellant was arrested at about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2005, brought to the Second District police station, and placed in an interrogation room. He remained in that room for thirteen hours, from around 7:25 p.m. Saturday night to 8:25 a.m. Sunday morning. He spent much of that time alone, seated in the chair to which he was handcuffed or trying to lie down on the floor to rest as fatigue and alcohol withdrawal symptoms took their toll. At intervals throughout the night and early morning, several detectives took turns interrogating him. The bulk of appellant's interrogation took place roughly from 8:20 to 10:20 p.m.; 1:45 to 2:10 a.m.; 2:25 to 3:00 a.m.; and 8:05 to 8:20 a.m.
Appellant was arrested initially for an alleged assault on his girlfriend, not for the robbery of Ms. Fotopoulous in Foggy Bottom. Detectives Ross and Tabron did not mention that robbery when they advised appellant of his Miranda rights, nor for some time thereafter. Appellant read through the standard PD-47 waiver-of-rights card, commented that he was used to it, [3] and agreed to answer the detectives' questions without a lawyer present. Over the next two hours, Detective Ross questioned appellant persistently about his whereabouts at the time of the robbery (which, coincidentally, was close in time to the assault on appellant's girlfriend). Appellant steadfastly denied having been in Foggy Bottom, however, even when Ross told him witnesses had seen him there, showed him a surveillance photograph of a man who looked like him, and said his DNA had been found in the vicinity of the photograph. Ross repeatedly accused appellant of lying. When Ross observed that appellant was sweating, appellant explained that he was an alcoholic and had not had anything to drink. At one point, the two detectives left the room. [4] While they were out, Detective Crespo came in and chatted with appellant for a few minutes. Crespo reminded appellant how he had helped him in the past and stated that if there's somebody that you're going to talk to, I hope it would be me. Crespo added that he and appellant had a mutual respect, and I honestly think you made a mistake. I honestly think that if you're going to try to feel better about what's probably going on in your head, if there's someone you're going to talk to, it should be me.
Detective Ross returned to the interrogation room at about 9:30 p.m. He warned appellant that he was getting ready to go at [him] hard, and he did just that. Over the next half hour, Ross pressed appellant to admit he had been in the Foggy Bottom area. Ross yelled and spoke loudly and repeatedly accused appellant of lying. He also noted again that appellant was sweating and shaking. Appellant responded that the detective's questions were crazy. Eventually he told Ross just to lock him up and bring his supposed witnesses to court. Around 10 p.m., Ross accused appellant of having robbed a woman in the Foggy Bottom area. This was the first mention during the interrogation of the robbery of Ms. Fotopoulous. Saying he could prove appellant's involvement in the robbery through DNA and fingerprint evidence, Ross invited appellant to tell him his version of what happened. Within a minute, appellant said, Let's go to court.... I don't know what you talking about. Over the next hour or so, Ross tried to persuade appellant to confess, and appellant insisted that he did not know what Ross was talking about. In addition, appellant reiterated over and over that he just wanted to go to court, that he was tired, and that he wanted to be returned to the cellblock and allowed to sleep. Ross did not stop interrogating appellant, however. He told appellant that his DNA would be obtained from the tissues he had used to wipe the sweat from his forehead; repeated that they needed to have closure; urged appellant to tell him his side of the story; warned him that the wall's closing in and that it was time for appellant to do the right thing; said going to court would serve no purpose; and asked appellant if he really wanted to go into a courtroom, face the evidence, and roll the dice. Several times Ross left the interrogation room and returned. He explained he was building a house of evidence against appellant and that each time he left, he was getting some more bricks. In response to one of those remarks, at approximately 11:15 p.m., appellant asked to go back [to the cellblock] to sleep. Take me back now. Take me back there and put me [indiscernible]. The trial court found that appellant unambiguously asserted his right to remain silent and cut off the questioning.
The interrogation continued. Ross left the room briefly, telling appellant to [l]ay back in the chair and relax because he would have a minute to sleep. Upon his return, Ross discovered that appellant had urinated on himself. The detective took appellant's clothing and gave him a paper jumpsuit to wear. Appellant asked to keep his shirt because it would be cold in the cellblock, but Ross denied the request. After seizing the clothing, Ross told appellant to wait because he had to go out, build some bricks. Appellant again asked to be taken back to the cellblock so he could get sleep. Ross offered to let him lie down on the ground in the interrogation room, handcuffed to his chair, but appellant repeated that he wanted to go back to his cell. Ross commented that appellant was shaking like a leaf. Ross asked appellant if he wanted to talk to him; appellant said no (three times), adding that he did not care whether Ross ke[pt] on building. For most of the next two-and-a-half hours, appellant was left alone in the interrogation room. He spent some of that time lying on the floor, handcuffed to his chair, and some of it sitting up in the chair.
At about 2:00 a.m., Ross returned with Detective Thompson. Ross told appellant there were a couple more things we need to talk to you about, after which appellant could get a little sleep. Detective Thompson then took over, questioning appellant about matters already covered by Ross. By this point, appellant was visibly tired and was mumbling his answers. When Thompson pressed appellant about the lies he allegedly had told, appellant responded, I didn't say that .... I don't want to talk about it. After further questions, appellant stated, Take me back ... go to sleep now. Take me in the back, lock me up. The detectives continued to question appellant, saying that anyone would want to get the crime off their chest. Dorsey answered, Let me do it when I go to court. Again, appellant asked to go to sleep.
Eventually, Ross said, Why don't we let you get a few hours sleep? We'll take a run at this tomorrow after you get a few hours sleep. Appellant reacted visibly to this statement and asked if he was being taken downstairs. Ross said, Yeah, I'll ask them to put you in a cell, is that okay? You want to do that? Because it ain't going to go away, Jimmy. Appellant murmured ... cellblock now and just go lay down. Ross said he was going to take a break and let appellant get some rest.
Despite these statements, appellant was not permitted to rest at this time, nor was he taken to the cellblock. The detectives questioned him some more and talked about how the evidence against him was stacking up. At about 2:30 a.m., Ross and Thompson left the room. After being alone there for about twenty minutes, appellant asked to make a phone call. Shortly thereafter, Detective Thompson returned and talked with appellant about possibly calling his mother. Then Thompson told appellant he should try to minimize this shit, because we know it's a high profile case and a lot of people want to see it closed. If you were me, Thompson said, I would take the opportunity to kind of man up to it and say, hey, you know, I was drinking, I was, you know, I was on drugs or something, and show some remorse. Appellant replied that he could do that in court. Thompson explained to appellant why he should not trust court: sometimes you go to court and then, you know, all the facts and everything's stacked up against you and you try to fight it, you know what happens. After further back-and-forth, Thompson told appellant, [t]he way I look at shit, in every negative there's a positive. If you get [a battery] man, it's a negative side and it's a positive side.... [R]ight now you're on the negative end ... [but] if you work the shit right you flip it on around to the positive side. Appellant stated there were the courts to deal with that, but Thompson suggested that appellant did not want this particular real strong case to go to court. Instead, Thompson told appellant, he should plead guilty so all the evidence would not have to be presented, and then it could be just like a robbery, a straight robbery.
Thompson next told appellant he would be surprised what we got and that the evidence continue[s] to build up. At that point, appellant stated, I'm ready [indiscernible] I want to talkI need to talk to a lawyer now. I've been in this joint now how long now? In response to this request, Thompson said, you don't want, you don't want that. Only a fool would want a judge to see all this shit. You know? Thompson continued to press appellant to talk to me, own up to this shit, and appellant continued to say he wanted to tell the court [his] side. Thompson responded that the court is not going to be as sympathetic as I am, because this was such a high profile case, a different type of case. Appellant replied, That's why I'm going to go to court. After further exchanges, Thompson said he would bring another officer into the room. Appellant repeated, I just want to go to sleep. I don't want to fuck with him, man. I want to go to sleep. To Thompson's proposal that they take a little break, come back in, appellant said, I don't want to talk no more. I'm not saying nothing else. Thompson persisted, saying he still wanted appellant to give him a full statement about what happened. Appellant replied, Nah, I already told you, I already told you that I ain'tI'm just want to lay down. I want to lay down .... I want to go to court. I should of just got a lawyer. Thompson offered once more to let appellant tell his side of the story, and appellant said, I just want to lay down and go to sleep. I've been sitting up in this damn chair, man. At around 3:00 a.m., Thompson exited the interrogation room, leaving appellant alone there for about an hour-and-a-half. Appellant spent some of this time with his head down on the table, some of it mumbling to himself, and some of it moving around in his chair. At 4:30 a.m., he asked to go to the bathroom. Detective Thompson took him there. Appellant asked when he would be taken down to the cellblock, and Thompson answered, when we finish up what we have to do. Thompson then left appellant to sit alone in the interrogation room for another three-and-a-half hours. Appellant lay resting on the floor for part of that time.
Ross and Thompson returned to the room at around 8:00 a.m. After telling appellant that it had been a long day for everybody, Ross produced the return on a search warrant the police had executed at the address appellant had given when the detectives had asked him where he had spent the previous night. Ross asked appellant whether, after he saw what had been seized, he still want[ed] to stay with [his] story. Appellant replied, I ain't trying to do nothing. Ross then told appellant his whole story was falling apart, gave him some information about a witness, and said, [t]hey going to up the charges unless you tell the truth. The best hope you got right now is to show remorse and move on. I'm telling you the truth. Think about it. Think about it. Appellant said he was ready to go to sleep, man. Ross then asked for a small scenario of what your story's going to be when appellant went to court. Appellant answered, I don't know. I'm ready to go back to sleep. Ross asked another officer if he wanted to talk to appellant, and appellant said, I don't want to talk. I'm ready to go to sleep. Ross asked appellant if he had gotten any sleep the previous night; the answer was no. Ross asked appellant if he needed anything. Yeah, sleep, appellant replied. Saying he sympathize[d], Ross started to ask appellant about his girlfriend. Appellant said he was done talking. There were some further exchanges along the same lines. Eventually appellant stopped replying at all. At around 8:30 a.m., he finally was taken from the interrogation room to the cellblock.