Court Opinion

ID: 9744326
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 22:00:57.327695+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:48.370736
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion
Arterburn, J.
I feel I should dissent from the majority opinion in which the conviction of the Appellant for second degree murder is reversed. The trial court is instructed to suppress certain oral and written statements by the Appellant and to similarly suppress physical evidence “inextricably bound” to those statements.
The evidence shows that the Appellant was about 17 years of age when he was arrested for the kidnapping and rape of one Margaret Wilson. The Appellant was at that time living with his sister, Mary Grever. Police had gone to their home with a search warrant when the Appellant was taken into custody. The validity of that search warrant is not challenged.
It was not until police entered the home that they suspected the Appellant had committed still another crime, the murder of one Jean Crouch. The body of this victim had been found in an abandoned garage in the neighborhood where the Appellant lived. This is the crime for which the Appellant was convicted. It is the Appellant’s confession to this murder that is at issue here.
The written and oral statements in question were made after the Appellant’s sister had joined him at the police station and after the two of them were advised of the Appellant’s Miranda rights. The opinion, however, turns upon the requirement that the record must affirmatively show that a juvenile and his parent or guardian were afforded a meaningful opportunity to confer before the waiver of Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights. Bridges v. State, (1973) 260 Ind. 651, 299 N.E.2d 616. (I agree that the Appellant’s sister was his guardian within the meaning of Lewis v. State, (1972) 259 Ind. 431, 288 N.E.2d 138.) The consultation itself which occurred between the Appellant and his sister is not *457the focus of our attention. The evidence here conflicts, and we do not ordinarily overturn a determination of a trial court regarding the voluntariness of a confession when that determination is based on conflicting evidence. Cooper v. State, (1974) 261 Ind. 659, 309 N.E.2d 807. The opinion, rather, draws our attention to the circumstances leading up to that consultation. I do not agree with the conclusion that these circumstances precluded the possibility of meaningful consultation.
Listed in the opinion are the events preceding the Appellant’s confession. He was “arrested, taken to the police station.” This seems entirely appropriate. The Appellant at this time “was not advised of any rights other than to have a parent or guardian present prior to questioning.” I can see no error here, as the Appellant was not questioned at this time and was later fully informed of his rights. The Appellant “was subjected to an illegal identification procedure.” It is not explained where this happened. The Appellant was taken to an interrogation room. On the way he passed the victim of the kidnapping-rape for which he was arrested. Justice Hunter has not elaborated on the illegality of this. In any event, if the Appellant “lost his composure” I think this is simply evidence.
The only police conduct particularly out of the ordinary here was the reading to the Appellant of part of the kidnapping and rape investigation report. When this was done, the Appellant broke down and said, “You don’t have to say anything, I did it.” This was a confession to the crime for which the Appellant was arrested, not the one for which he was ultimately convicted. It was shortly after this statement that the Appellant’s sister arrived. The Appellant and his sister were together informed of the Appellant’s rights, as stated above. The waiver form was signed by the Appellant’s sister upon his instruction. She was present during the questioning which resulted in his murder confession.
I do not believe these circumstances were so coercive as to *458render meaningless the consultation the Appellant had with his sister. To me, the opinion of Justice Hunter comes close to saying that the mere presence of police officers constitutes a threat sufficient to make invalid any confession made to them. This would hamper normal police investigation since their very presence would be grounds for excluding competent evidence which they observed. We come close in this opinion to the imposition on police of a duty to assist a defendant in maintaining his composure. I find it difficult to imagine a confession, especially one by a juvenile, in which a loss of composure does not play at least some role.
I also think it is wise to ask whether the consultation requirement of the Leiois and Bridges cases is fully applicable to a case such as we have here. It is true that, at the time of his arrest, the Appellant was under the age of 18. I doubt, however, that he was a person of “tender age.” This young man was old enough to commit rape and nearly old enough to vote. Furthermore, Ind. Code § 81-5-7-13 (Burns Supp. 1975) provides that juveniles charged with first degree murder should be tried in regular adult court. I think the rules of criminal procedure applicable to adults should perhaps also be applied to a juvenile of this age, charged with crimes of the sort found here.
Givan, C.J., concurs.
Note. — Reported at 346 N.E.2d 584.