Court Opinion

ID: 9453518
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:15:48.434433+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:33:41.535429
License: Public Domain

CUMMINGS, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
Here Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Daniel V. Hogan properly advised defendant Nielsen of his constitutional rights in conformity with Miranda v. State of Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694. As Hogan testified :1
“ * * * I personally advised him of his constitutional rights. That is, after identifying ourselves [Hogan and Agent Stephan] with our credentials, I told him of the nature of the charge against him. I also told him that he had certain rights guaranteed by the constitution; namely, that he need not say anything if he so desired. But that anything he did care to say could be used as evidence against him in a court of law; that he had the right to the counsel of an attorney. He could talk to this person or anyone of his choice before he said anything if, in fact, he cared to say anything. And if he lacked the necessary funds with which to retain an attorney, then that matter could be disposed of at the time he appeared before the United States Commissioner and one would be appointed for him. I orally advised him of this in his residence.”
Thereafter, at FBI headquarters in Chicago, having been again apprised of his rights through the waiver form, Nielsen told Hogan that he did not want to call his lawyer until later in the morning and then “He [Nielsen] said however, that we [Hogan and Stephan] could proceed with the questioning.” Hogan then proceeded to relate Nielsen’s denials of having: driven the stolen Chevelle, been in it, seen it, been involved in altering its frame identifying numbers or known J. P. Suit (an Alabama auto dealer who was in possession of the Chevelle when it was recovered). There was no objection to Hogan’s testimony as to Nielsen’s five denials nor any motion to strike it. Defendant did not complain that the Miranda warnings were repeated in the jury’s presence, and his briefs do not *855argue that the jury should have been excluded.2
There is no claim that Nielsen did not understand his constitutional rights or that his decision to talk was based on. misinformation or deception by the Government. Defendant has not advised us what else could have been done by Agent Hogan to insure that Nielsen’s decision to talk was voluntary. According to Hogan’s uncontroverted testimony, Nielsen plainly “chose to forego the assistance of counsel” at the interrogation. United States v. Smith, 379 F.2d 628, 633 (7th Cir. 1967).3 Hogan’s above-quoted testimony convinces me and convinced the District Court that this was done deliberately and understandingly after adequate constitutional warnings. In my view, this case is controlled by United States v. Plata, 361 F.2d 958, 961 (7th Cir. 1966), certiorari denied, 385 U.S. 841, 87 S.Ct. 94, 17 L.Ed.2d 74,4 where Judge Major stated:
“As previously shown, defendant had been advised of his constitutional rights, and particularly that any statement he made might be used against him. It is true he had stated that he desired to consult the lawyer who had represented him in business, and admittedly two unsuccessful attempts had been made to reach him by telephone. No request was made that any other lawyer be contacted. We think the inference is inescapable that defendant, with knowledge of his right to counsel and to remain silent if he so desired, voluntarily responded to the agent’s inquiry.”
The judgment of the District Court should be affirmed.

. Just beforehand, defense counsel objected to the relevancy of Hogan’s testifying about advising Nielsen of his constitutional rights, but the objection was overruled.

. If defendant had objected to the adequacy of the -warnings or to Hogan’s recitation of Nielsen’s false exculpatory statements, the District Court could have resolved the matter outside the jury’s presence (Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 394, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed.2d 908), making specific findings as to the sufficiency of the Miranda warnings and defendant’s waiver. Evans v. United States, 375 F.2d 355, 360 (8th Cir. 1967). No such findings were requested here.

. The Smith case was decided after this trial.

. Miranda was cited in Plata’s unsuccessful petitions for rehearing and for certiorari.