Court Opinion

ID: 9709067
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 03:39:25.137669+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:45.772183
License: Public Domain

POMEROY, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. The findings of fact by the suppression hearing judge were as follows:
“With respect to the statements made by the defendant to Det. Thompson and Det. Bloss, we find as further facts that the defendant made some statements to the state policeman at or about 2 o’clock in the morning of November 21, 1972. These statements made to the state police were admitted into evidence at his trial and upon appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the matter was reversed by the Supreme Court. .
“Now, sometime after the statement of the defendant to the state police, the state police then took the defendant to commit him to the York County Jail, and under the evidence, he reached the jail at 9 o’clock of that same morning of November 21, 1972. Thereafter, at about 1 o’clock that afternoon, the defendant was taken to City Hall at police headquarters there in the City of York where he was processed for arraignment. Prior to that *183time, he had been read the warrant for homicide and for arson by one of the policemen and after he was processed at City Hall, he was taken to the Magistrate and there arraigned at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Then he was driven in a police car from the Magistrate’s office to the prison.
“On the way in the police car to the prison in the company of Det. Bloss and Det. Thompson, and as the defendant passed the scene of the fire or at or about that time, the defendant voluntarily and without having been asked any questions by either of the policemen, made the statement T didn’t mean to kill those people. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.’ Moreover, at the time he was being processed at City Hall which was sometime between 1 o’clock in the afternoon and 1:30 o’clock in the afternoon of November 21, 1973, while the defendant was talking to Det. Bloss and at or about the time a radio broadcast was made concerning the defendant being charged with the various crimes in question. Again the defendant voluntarily and without being interrogated concerning the crimes made the statement in the presence of Det. Bloss, T didn’t kill anyone.’
“I have incorporated into evidence in this suppression hearing all of the testimony concerning the defendant’s mental emotional condition prior to the time that he made the statements to the state police. The defendant himself testified here today that he does not remember anything concerning the events in question. The defendant’s father testified that he saw the defendant either the morning of the 21st or the morning of the 22nd, but he does not remember which day, and the substance of the defendant’s father’s testimony was that the defendant couldn’t remember anything and not accountable for what he said.
“On the other hand, both Det. Bloss and Det. Thompson testified that when the defendant was in their presence, either at City Hall or in the car, the defendant appeared normal; that while it is true he did start to cry at or about the time he made the statements in the car, he appeared to be rational and was able to know what was going on. *184Gerald Sweeney, who was then a detective of the York City Police Department, also testified when he saw the defendant at City Hall the defendant knew what he was doing.
“Preliminarily, we might say we find it difficult to understand why the defense would want to suppress the statement made at City Hall since that is exculpatory. The defendant there said, T didn’t do anything or kill anyone.’
“MR. SMITH [appellant’s counsel]: We are not suggesting that be suppressed.
“THE COURT: So we now add to this, defense counsel has indicated to the Court in open court that the statement does not want to be suppressed and we won’t take any action on that. We think, under all of the circumstances, that whether or not the defendant’s emotional condition was the same or better or worse at 2 o’clock in the afternoon when he made the statements to the police then [sic] at the time he talked to the state police at 2 o’clock in the morning is really a question for the jury. We are not convinced as a matter of law or under the evidence that the defendant at the time he made the statements to the two detectives in the car that he was in such a mental or emotional state that he is not accountable for what he said. We, therefore, conclude as a matter of law and find as a fact for the purposes of this suppression hearing that when the defendant made the statement to the police in the police car going to the prison that afternoon that he was able to know what he was doing; that the statements were made voluntarily, without any coercion and not while he was being interrogated by the police and in view of the voluntary nature of the statements to the police and in view of the fact we believe that his physical and mental condition was sufficient to permit him to make the statement. . . . ”
The suppression court, based upon the above findings, overruled the appellant’s motion to suppress the oral statements made to the detectives on the afternoon of November 21, 1972.
*185We have repeatedly said that when a suppression court’s findings of fact are supported by the record, they may not be disturbed by an appellate court. E. g., Commonwealth v. O’Bryant, 479 Pa. 534, 388 A.2d 1059, 1061 (1978); Commonwealth v. Hall, 475 Pa. 482, 486, 380 A.2d 1238 (1977); Commonwealth v. Gray, 473 Pa. 424, 431, 374 A.2d 1285 (1977); Commonwealth v. Lewis, 472 Pa. 235, 239, 372 A.2d 399 (1977); Commonwealth v. Sparrow, 471 Pa. 490, 497-98, 370 A.2d 712 (1977); Commonwealth v. Bundy, 458 Pa. 240, 328 A.2d 517 (1974). This principle should apply with full force to the case at bar.