Court Opinion

ID: 9516216
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 23:37:52.600206+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:13:22.579216
License: Public Domain

Murphy, J.
(dissenting). I respectfully dissent. This Court’s review of the issue of voluntariness must be independent of that of the trial court. People v Robinson, 386 Mich 551, 558; 194 NW2d 709 (1972). However, we will affirm the trial court’s decision unless we are left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Id.; People v DeLisle, 183 Mich App 713, 719; 455 NW2d 401 (1990). Further, if resolution of a disputed factual question turns on the credibility of witnesses or the weight of the evidence, we will defer to the trial court, which had a superior opportunity to evaluate these matters. See People v Marshall, 204 Mich App 584, 587; 517 NW2d 554 (1994).
In evaluating the admissibility of a particular statement, we review the totality of the circumstances surrounding the making of the statement to determine whether it was freely and voluntarily made in light of the factors set forth by our Supreme Court in People v Cipriano, 431 Mich 315, 334; 429 NW2d 781 (1988):
[T]he age of the accused; his lack of education or his intelligence level; the extent of his previous experience with the police; the repeated and prolonged nature of the questioning; the length of the detention of the accused before he gave the statement in question; the lack of any advice to the accused of his constitutional rights; whether there was an unnecessary delay in bringing him before a magistrate *544before he gave the confession; whether the accused was injured, intoxicated or drugged, or in ill health when he gave the statement; whether the accused was deprived of food, sleep, or medical attention; whether the accused was physically abused; and whether the suspect was threatened with abuse.
The absence or presence of any one of these factors is not necessarily conclusive on the issue of voluntariness. The ultimate test of admissibility is whether the totality of the circumstances surrounding the making of the confession indicates that it was freely and voluntarily made. [Citations omitted.]
After examining the totality of the circumstances surrounding defendant’s statements, I am not left with a definite and firm conviction that the trial court erred in finding that the statements were freely and voluntarily given. Therefore, I would affirm the decision of the trial court.
The trial court found that defendant was treated fairly by the investigating officers throughout his interrogation. Defendant was provided with food and water and was told on at least two occasions that he was not under arrest and could leave at any time. Defendant himself testified that he was treated fairly by the officers and that he was not coerced in any manner into making the challenged statements. Defendant was also advised of his Miranda1 rights and, as the majority correctly concludes, voluntarily waived those rights before making the challenged statements. Although there was evidence that defendant suffers from an auditory processing disorder and that he has below average intelligence, the trial judge, who was in the best position to observe defendant’s *545demeanor, noted that defendant, while testifying in this matter, understood the questions presented to him and responded to those questions in an appropriate maimer. Finally, although the police failed to inform defendant that he had counsel available during his interrogation, failed to disclose defendant’s whereabouts to defense counsel, and faded to heed defense counsel’s demands that the interrogation be stopped, I am not prepared to say that, under the totality of the circumstances, these factors alone rendered defendant’s otherwise voluntary statements involuntary.
Accordingly, I would affirm the decision of the trial court because I am not left with a definite and firm conviction that the trial court erred in admitting the chadenged statements.

 Miranda v Arizona, 384 US 436; 86 S Ct 1602; 16 L Ed 2d 694 (1966).