Court Opinion

ID: 9846644
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:44:44.051446+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:41.075733
License: Public Domain

Miller, J.,
dissenting:
I respectfully disagree with the conclusion reached by the majority in the matter of the Jackson v. Denno hearing and the voluntariness of the defendant’s confession.
The defendant, Harry F. Duncan, was arrested by Detective Donald D. Hall of the Kansas City Police Department around 10 o’clock p. m. on January 19, 1975. It is not clear from the record whether a complaint was filed and a warrant was issued prior to the arrest or whether the arrest was made without a warrant. At any rate, it appears that the officer’s attention was directed toward the defendant because of information provided by an undisclosed informant.
Duncan was taken to Kansas City police headquarters, where he was questioned until 1 or 2 o’clock the next morning, then locked up for the night.
On the following day he was not taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay as is mandated by K. S. A. 22-2901. Instead, he remained in custody, without knowledge of any charges pending against him, and without counsel. At one o’clock in the afternoon — some fifteen hours after he was arrested — he was again interrogated by Detective Hall. The detective stated that he was not familiar enough with the case (the body having been found in Johnson County, outside his jurisdiction) to conduct an intelligent interview, so he secured the attendance of Detective Dwight Cobb of the Johnson County sheriffs office and KBI Agent Jim *725Malson. Detective Hall stated that Detective Cobb and Agent Malson were present and participated throughout the interview, which lasted from two to three hours. Both were present when Duncan admitted involvement in this crime. Also present was a secretary who took notes. Hall testified that the defendant waived his Miranda rights and confessed to the homicide, admitting that he committed the offense almost exactly as described by Mrs. Beverly Thompson.
Duncan flatly denied that he made any confession. Detective Cobb was called as a witness both by the prosecution and the defense. He stated that he was present for only a short time during the interview in Detective Hall’s office, and while he was there he did not hear the defendant confess to anything.
Agent Malson was not called as a witness. In light of the surprising testimony of Detective Cobb, I cannot agree with the majority’s conclusion that “it is extremely doubtful that (Agent Malson’s) testimony would be helpful to the defendant.” The secretary, who allegedly took notes of the “confession,” did not testify. Her notes were not introduced in evidence. A written statement, approximately one and one-third letter-sized pages in length, was prepared but never signed. That statement was not received in evidence and is not before us. It does appear from the record, however, that the written statement differs materially from the oral statement related in the testimony of Detective Hall.
The only testimony before the court at the Jackson v. Denno hearing was the testimony of Detective Hall. Defendant urged the court to hear the testimony of other persons who were present, but the court summarily denied the motion and ruled that the defendant had made a confession and that he had done so voluntarily.
We indicated in State v. Milow, 199 Kan. 576, 433 P. 2d 538, that the preliminary hearing on the voluntariness of a confession should not be pro forma; the range of inquiry should be broad and the court should consider the totality of the circumstances. The procedure should be “fully adequate to insure a reliable and clear-cut determination of the voluntariness of the confession.” Jackson v. Denno, 378 U. S. 368, 12 L. Ed. 2d 908, 84 S. Ct. 1774, 1 A. L. R. 3d 1205.
I recognize that in the case at hand, the defendant does not contend that his confession was involuntary; instead he claims that he made no confession. The state claims that Cobb, Malson and the secretary heard defendant confess. Cobb testified that he did not *726hear it. If Malson and the secretary also state that they heard no confession, can it be held, on the strength of Detective Hall’s testimony alone, that Duncan confessed, and that he did so voluntarily? I think not.
Under the circumstances I would remand and direct the trial court to conduct an adequate evidentiary hearing and then to determine whether the defendant voluntarily made a confession. If the trial court determines that no voluntary confession was made, a new trial should be granted; otherwise a new trial is unnecessary. This procedure was directed in Jackson v. Denno, supra; State v. Milow, supra; and Baker v. State, 204 Kan. 607, 464 P. 2d 212. I believe the same resolution should be made of this case.
Fatzer, C. J., joins in the foregoing dissenting opinion.