Opinion ID: 424137
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Motion to Suppress Written Statement

Text: 100 Appellant next argues that his motion to suppress a written, incriminating statement made to the Secret Service on the night of his arrest should have been granted because the statement was not knowingly and voluntarily made. 101 Parr contends that at the time of his arrest on October 21, 1981, he was unable to think clearly, to reason or to understand the nature of the federal agent's interrogation, due to excessive amounts of medication and an accident occurring on October 16, 1981, resulting in temporarily diminished mental capacity. He argues the signing of the written Miranda warning and waiver of his rights and his statement are not valid because they were not the product of a rational intellect. 102 Agent Tuller of the Secret Service testified that he arrested Appellant Parr on October 21 outside the Hour Quick Print Shop, and at that time read appellant his Miranda rights. Agent Tuller also testified that at that time Parr indicated that he understood those rights. Parr then was transported to the Secret Service station, where he again was advised by Tuller of his rights. Appellant next executed a Warning and Waiver of Rights to which the defense stipulated at trial. He then made an incriminating statement that was reduced to writing and signed by him. During the motion to suppress hearing, Parr took the stand, acknowledged his signature on the waiver form and the written statement, remembered signing the forms but did not remember Agent Tuller going over the form and the statement with him as Agent Tuller had testified that he did. Parr also testified that he did not recall having his rights read to him. 103 In Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444-45, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 1612, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, 706-07 (1966), the Supreme Court held that evidence obtained as a result of a custodial interrogation is inadmissible unless the defendant had first been warned of his rights and knowingly waived those rights. See Sullivan v. Alabama, 666 F.2d 478, 482 (11th Cir.1982). Where, as here, interrogation continues in the absence of counsel for the defendant, the government must show that the defendant made a knowing, voluntary, and intelligent waiver of his rights. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. at 475, 86 S.Ct. at 1628, 16 L.Ed.2d at 724; Sullivan v. Alabama, 666 F.2d at 483. 104 Whether a valid waiver of constitutional rights is made is a question of law on which an appellate court must make an independent judgment, Beckwith v. United States, 425 U.S. 341, 348, 96 S.Ct. 1612, 1617, 48 L.Ed.2d 1 (1976); Davis v. North Carolina, 384 U.S. 737, 741-42, 86 S.Ct. 1761, 1764, 16 L.Ed.2d 895, 898 (1966), based on the totality of the circumstances. Blackburn v. State, 361 U.S. 199, 206, 80 S.Ct. 274, 279, 4 L.Ed.2d 242 (1960). See also North Carolina v. Butler, 441 U.S. 369, 99 S.Ct. 1755, 60 L.Ed.2d 286 (1979); Sullivan v. Alabama, 666 F.2d at 482-83. 105 Viewing the totality of the circumstances here the district court did not err in refusing to suppress the written statement. Agent Tuller testified that Miranda warnings were at least twice given to the appellant. Appellant testified only that he did not remember. The government elicited testimony from Agent Tuller that at the time of the warnings and appellant's written statement, appellant appeared to be fully coherent of what was going on and appeared to have his mental faculties about him. His speech was normal, he complained of no illnesses and he walked without difficulty. Donna Oles testified that on October 16 Parr told her he had been hit by a car. She took him to a doctor that day and a hospital the next. On the 19th, after the fire at Parr's house, he complained of dizziness and she took him to another hospital. Oles testified that on several occasions during this period, she observed Parr punch himself behind his left ear and heard him state that if it was not red he would make it red and that he felt sick even if they did not think he was sick. Parr and Oles testified that commencing on October 12 Parr had been taking prescription medicine, prescribed to relax his nerves and help him sleep. The pharmacist testified to filling the prescription for Dalmane and Centrax on October 12. On October 16 the prescription was refilled. Parr, although stating he remembered little of what had transpired during the period between October 12 and October 21, 1981, testified that he thought he recalled taking most of this medication on the 16th, possibly some on the 17th, but if any was left he may have taken it on the 21st, the day of his arrest. Oles testified, however, that Parr had worked three or four hours in the print shop on the 21st and seemed very alert and his manner of speaking was very well on the 21st. 106 While the conduct of the accused is only one factor in evaluating the validity of a waiver, Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 464, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 1023, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938); Sullivan v. Alabama, 666 F.2d at 483, here there is not only the testimony of a government agent that appellant was read his rights, waived his rights, and made the statement in question, but there exist signed copies of both the waiver and the statement. Furthermore, appellant's own testimony establishes that to the best of his memory he had taken all of the medication allegedly contributing to his temporarily diminished mental capacity on the 16th of October, and perhaps some on the 17th, a full four to five days before his arrest and the making of the statement. All of these factors were taken into account by the district court in denying the motion to suppress the written statement. In addition the district court was able, as we are not, to evaluate the credibility of the witnesses at the motion to suppress hearing. 107 Accordingly, after reviewing the record, we agree with the district court that Parr made a knowing, voluntary, intelligent waiver of his constitutional rights.