Opinion ID: 337795
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Postarrest Government Activity

Text: 11 Smith's next attack is on events occurring subsequent to his arrest. The first instance of misconduct alleged is the isolation of Smith after his arrest and the refusal to allow him to see an attorney until he had given a statement, in violation of Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). When Smith was arrested, he was given the Miranda warnings, including his right to counsel, and taken to the DEA office in Portland for processing. Although he expressed a desire to talk to his lawyer, Smith was told that he could not do so until he had made a statement or had spent a number of hours in the DEA office. Smith eventually made inculpatory statements while isolated in a room for interrogation. This procedure, he contends, was in violation of the Miranda requirement that (i)f the individual states that he wants an attorney, the interrogation must cease until an attorney is present. 384 U.S. at 474, 86 S.Ct. at 1628, 16 L.Ed.2d at 723. 12 We need not reach the question whether there was a violation of the Miranda rules 1 since even if there were, there would be no error in this case. The government did not attempt to introduce his statements into evidence in its case-in-chief but used them rather for impeachment during cross-examination of Smith. The Supreme Court specifically upheld this procedure in Oregon v. Hass, 420 U.S. 714, 95 S.Ct. 1215, 43 L.Ed.2d 570 (1975). See Harris v. New York, 401 U.S. 222, 91 S.Ct. 643, 28 L.Ed.2d 1 (1971). Use of an otherwise excludable statement for impeachment was allowed in Hass if it met standards for trustworthiness. Using impeaching statements would aid the jury in assessing the defendant's credibility while barring their admission as substantive evidence of the alleged crime would maintain a sufficient deterrent effect on proscribed police conduct. To prohibit all uses of such statements would pervert the holding of Miranda into a shield protecting a defendant's perjurious testimony from confrontation with trustworthy inconsistent utterances. 420 U.S. at 722-23, 95 S.Ct. at 1221, 43 L.Ed.2d at 577-78. 13 The police conduct here does not distinguish this case from Hass. There, the incriminating evidence in question was received after the police officer had properly said that Hass could telephone a lawyer as soon as they arrived at the office, but improperly continued the interrogation in the car after the defendant had asked to call his attorney. The Court recognized that its holding might encourage misguided police officers to continue their questioning in these circumstances, since they would have little to lose while standing to garner impeachment material. However, the Court stated: 14 If, in a given case, the officer's conduct amounts to abuse, that case, like those involving coercion or duress, may be taken care of when it arises measured by the traditional standards for evaluating voluntariness and trustworthiness. 15 420 U.S. at 723, 95 S.Ct. at 1221, 43 L.Ed.2d at 578. Smith did not move to suppress the use of his statements for impeachment purposes and thus implicitly conceded that they were not coerced or involuntary. While we cannot condone any violations of Miranda rules, the government cannot be faulted in employing the statements during cross-examination of Smith. 16 Smith raises three additional instances of alleged governmental misconduct, all of which lack merit. In light of free press considerations, there was no impropriety in affording television coverage of the mobile home when it was brought to the DEA office. Nor was it error to present testimony of an informant who had been convicted of a misdemeanor in the past and was thought to be unreliable by the trial judge. It was for the jury to assess his credibility. Finally, there was no evidence whatsoever that the government induced the informant to commit perjury. Nor was it an abuse of discretion to curtail cross-examination of the informant so as to exclude hearsay statements made by the government attorney to the informant during the recess that interrupted the informant's testimony. See United States v. McGregor, 529 F.2d 928 (9th Cir. Jan. 9, 1976). 17 AFFIRMED.