Court Opinion

ID: 9727115
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:20:27.320722+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:33.678116
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE WOMBACHER, dissenting: I agree that count II of the complaint was barred by Wharton’s Rule, I do not agree, however, that the trial court erred in suppressing the defendant’s confession. Accordingly, I dissent from that portion of the opinion. The crucial issue is whether the defendant was in custody at the time of his interrogation by the police. Simply put, the rule of Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694, 86 S. Ct. 1602, requires the suppression of statements made by a defendant in response to custodial police interrogation unless preceded by a statement of basic constitutional rights and a waiver of those rights. In the instant case, the experienced trial judge resolved this issue in favor of the defendant, criticized the police conduct as a deliberate attempt to evade Miranda and ordered the suppression of the fruits of that interrogation. In order for this court to overturn the trial court’s decision, this court must find the decision to be manifest error. People v. Hagar (1987), 160 Ill. App. 3d 370, 513 N.E.2d 628. The majority opinion states, “[i]n determining whether custody exists, the ultimate inquiry is whether there was a formal arrest or a significant restraint on the person’s freedom of movement” (196 Ill. App. 3d at 313, citing Oregon v. Mathiason (1977), 429 U.S. 492, 50 L. Ed. 2d 714, 97 S. Ct. 711). The majority, again citing Mathiason, then indicates that simply because an individual is a police suspect or is interrogated at a police station does not necessarily mean that the individual is in custody. Without any more analysis, the majority cavalierly finds that the trial judge’s order was manifestly erroneous. Research on the issue reveals that the question of whether an individual is “in custody” is not nearly as facile as the majority would have us believe. Instead of focusing on one or two factors, a “totality of the circumstances” analysis should be employed and an objective evaluation made to determine whether a reasonable innocent person would have believed that he was free to leave. (People v. Smith (1986), 150 Ill. App. 3d 524, 501 N.E.2d 1010.) The relevant factors listed by the court in Smith include the place of interrogation, any statements or nonverbal conduct indicating the accused is not free to leave, the extent of the knowledge of the police officers and the focus of their investigation and the intentions of the officers. Smith, 150 Ill. App. 3d at 528. Applying these factors to the case at bar, two police officers went to the defendant’s residence, supposedly to deliver a subpoena. However, instead of merely serving the subpoena on the defendant, the officers “advised” him to come to the police station to pick it up. Therefore, the defendant’s appearance at the police station was not totally voluntary as that was the location at which he was told to come to receive his subpoena. It is interesting to note that the police could have both served the subpoena and questioned the defendant at his residence, but elected to have the defendant come to the station instead. Once the defendant arrived at the station, he was immediately fingerprinted, photographed and had a personal history taken. This is the identical procedure used following the arrest of an individual. Thus, while the police officers verbally told the defendant that he was not in custody, the circumstances clearly negated the officers' statements. See, e.g., People v. Berry (1984), 123 Ill. App. 3d 1042, 463 N.E.2d 1044. As to the focus of the investigation and the knowledge and intent of the police, it is apparent that the defendant was the focus of the investigation. The police officers were serving him with a grand jury subpoena. Had the officers believed that the defendant was one who would merely provide testimony as to another’s activities, they would have left the subpoena with the defendant. If they had questions, they could have questioned him at his residence rather than compelled him to come to the police station. It is apparent that the police suspected the defendant and wanted to get him into an environment more conducive to eliciting incriminating information. When the objective elements are viewed with the reasonable inferences of an innocent person, it is apparent that the defendant was in custody when he was interrogated. The defendant was coerced into appearing at the police station. After his arrival at the police station, he underwent the same treatment an arrested individual would receive. He then was questioned for nearly one hour by two police officers. The room where he was questioned is located on the second floor of the police station. The door was closed during his interrogation. In sum, it is my opinion that the defendant was in custody at the time of the interrogation and therefore should have been afforded Miranda warnings. I would affirm the trial court’s decision.