Court Opinion

ID: 9648456
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 14:21:47.174034+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:01.180356
License: Public Domain

P.A. Hollingsworth, Justice, dissenting. I dissent from the majority’s holding that the appellant knowlingly waived his fifth and sixth amendment rights. An individual’s right to remain silent and to have the opportunity to confer with counsel is well established in Arkansas law. Tucker v. State, 261 Ark. 505, 549 S.W.2d 285 (1977). Before any statement made by a defendant can be admitted into evidence, it must be shown that the defendant knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waived his rights to remain silent and to counsel. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966); Hickerson v. State, 282 Ark. 217, 667 S.W.2d 654 (1984); Hunes v. State, 274 Ark. 268, 623 S.W.2d 835 (1981). I do not believe the appellant knowingly waived his constitutional rights in this case. The appellant was read his rights at the time of his arrest. He was handed a standard rights form which he read and to which he wrote a response. The last question on the form was “Do you understand you may waive the right to advice of counsel and your right to remain silent? You may answer questions or make a statement without consulting a lawyer if you so desire.” Appellant answered “Yes” to this question. This form does not clearly show that appellant waived his rights. It only asked if he understood his rights. We have held a rights form to be defective due to the fact that it implied that an attorney could not be appointed before the accused’s case came up in court. Moore v. State, 251 Ark. 436, 472 S.W.2d 940 (1971). In this case the standard rights form should also be held defective since the appellant may not have realized that he was waiving his rights when he answered yes to the last question on the form. The form does not contain a specific waiver of rights statement. The trial judge noted this in his ruling when he said: There is nothing showing a positive waiver by the defendant. A waiver is a giving up of a right. And there is nothing showing he did that other than the fact that he answered after he was advised of his rights. I can see instances when a person might not realize he’s waiving anything when he answers those questions. But if he were asked to sign a statement stating he did, in fact, understand these rights and that he wished to waive them and a waiver was explained to him, I think it would lend a little more effect to it . . . I agree with the trial court’s statement that the rights form does not show a positive waiver by the appellant. As such, the appellant could not have knowingly waived his rights. Thus, the requirements of Miranda were not met. I would suppress the appellant’s statements.