Court Opinion

ID: 9714164
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:32:20.187539+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:23.494460
License: Public Domain

CHIEF JUSTICE BILANDIC, concurring in part and dissenting in part: I agree with the majority’s conclusion that the evidence presented at the defendant’s trial, when viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, was sufficient to support the defendant’s murder conviction. I do not agree, however, with the majority’s conclusion that the police initiated a conversation with the defendant after he invoked his right to counsel in violation of the rule established in Edwards v. Arizona. I would find, instead, that the defendant, after invoking his right to counsel, initiated a conversation with the police evincing a willingness and desire for a generalized discussion about the investigation. The Supreme Court, in Edwards v. Arizona (1981), 451 U.S. 477, 68 L. Ed. 2d 378, 101 S. Ct. 1880, articulated the general rule that once a defendant invokes his right to have counsel present during interrogation, all questioning must cease until counsel is actually present, unless the accused himself initiates further communication, exchanges, or conversations with the police. In Oregon v. Bradshaw (1983), 462 U.S. 1039, 77 L. Ed. 2d 405, 103 S. Ct. 2830, the Court outlined the approach courts should follow in determining whether a defendant who invokes his right to counsel, but later initiates a conversation with the police, has actually waived his right to have counsel present during custodial interrogation. The preliminary inquiry is whether the defendant initiated the conversation in a manner evincing a willingness and a desire for a generalized discussion about the investigation. (Bradshaw, 462 U.S. at 1045-46, 77 L. Ed. 2d at 412, 103 S. Ct. at 2835.) The second inquiry is whether the totality of the circumstances, including the fact that the defendant initiated a conversation with the police, demonstrates that the defendant knowingly and intelligently waived his right to counsel’s presence during questioning. Bradshaw, 462 U.S. at 1045-46, 77 L. Ed. 2d at 412-13, 103 S. Ct. at 2835. The majority never addresses the second prong of the Bradshaw inquiry, because it finds that the police, rather than the defendant, initiated the conversation following the defendant’s invocation of his right to counsel. In reaching this conclusion, the majority adds a new element to the Bradshaw two-part inquiry. The majority states that, when a defendant asks a question, the answer to which may elicit an incriminating response, the police must first remind the defendant of his right to have counsel present during questioning. The opinion cites no authority for this proposition. To the extent that the opinion relies upon Bradshaw as support for this rule, it is wrong. Bradshaw does not expressly or implicitly adopt such a requirement. In fact, the Bradshaw opinion discussed the police officer’s response to the defendant’s question only in the context of finding that the defendant’s question could be, and was, understood as indicating the defendant’s desire to engage in a generalized discussion of the investigation. Nothing in Bradshaw supports the majority’s conclusion that the police must, in all cases, reissue Miranda warnings to a defendant who initiates further communication with the police after invoking his right to counsel. Even assuming that the majority is correct in adopting such a requirement, it completely fails to acknowledge that the police here did remind the defendant of his right to have counsel present during questioning before the defendant made incriminating statements. Officer Kato testified at the suppression hearing that the defendant, after the lineup, asked, "What happened?” Officer Kato told the defendant that he had been positively identified. The defendant then stated that he wanted to know what would happen next. Officer Kato testified that he readvised the defendant of his Miranda rights and the defendant indicated that he understood those rights. Officer Kato testified that the defendant made incriminating statements only after he was reminded of his rights. Although Officer Kato’s testimony differed, in some respects, from the testimony of another officer who participated in the investigation, the trial court, in denying the defendant’s motion to suppress, specifically stated, "I believe that what happened is as Officer Kato testified.” Thus, even if the majority’s newly fashioned rule is applied to the facts of this case, it is apparent that the first part of the two-part test set forth in Bradshaw is satisfied here. In Bradshaw, the defendant asked, "Well, what is going to happen to me now?” (Bradshaw, 462 U.S. at 1045-46, 77 L. Ed. 2d at 412, 103 S. Ct. at 2835.) The Supreme Court found that this question did evince a desire for generalized discussion about the investigation. (Bradshaw, 462 U.S. at 1045-46, 77 L. Ed. 2d at 412, 103 S. Ct. at 2835.) The Court contrasted the defendant’s question with inquiries, such as a request for a drink of water or a request to use the telephone, which are so routine that they do not represent a desire to open up a generalized discussion of the investigation. Here, the defendant’s questions did not relate to a routine aspect of custody. Rather, the defendant’s questions clearly related to the investigation and evinced a desire to discuss the investigation. The majority’s finding to the contrary conflicts with the Supreme Court’s decision in Bradshaw. I would find that the defendant’s questions evinced a willingness and desire for a generalized discussion of the investigation. Because the first part of the Bradshaw inquiry is satisfied, the majority should have addressed the second part of that test. Specifically, the majority should have considered whether the totality of the circumstances, including the fact that the defendant reopened the dialogue with the police, indicated that the defendant waived his previously invoked right to counsel. JUSTICE HEIPLE joins in this partial concurrence and partial dissent.