Court Opinion

ID: 9778368
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:01:52.346459+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:08.007389
License: Public Domain

John A. Fogleman, Justice, dissenting. I cannot accept the majority’s finding that, in spite of the trial court’s holding to the contrary, every statement made by appellant was involuntary. This overextension of the Miranda principles is quite unwarranted. In my opinion, the trial court’s findings as to some of the statements, at least, are supported by a clear preponderance of the evidence. Perhaps the matter would be in better focus if the facts were viewed chronogically. On the day Lisa was found dead in her home, Alan Rouw was seen going toward the Evans house at a point approximately halfway between his own home and the Evans house. He was carrying a weapon that looked like a rifle. This was approximately 1-1/2 hours prior to the time she was found dead at 5:30 p.m. Later he was seen going toward his own home, still carrying a rifle. When he arrived at home about 5:00 p.m., he appeared to be upset and hurried to put his gun away. After Alan got home, the sheriff came to the Rouw house and told the Rouws that Lisa was dead. There was some conversation at that time to the effect that Alan had gone hunting, had passed through an orchard, found a dead cow, made some shots at a buzzard, passed the Smith house (which was half way between the Rouw house and the Evans house) and had then shot at a squirrel’s nest. The sheriff and some of his deputies returned the next day and asked if it would be all right for Alan to show them where he had been, without indicating that Alan might have had anything to do with Lisa’s death. Alan went along to show the places he had gone. A search was made at the place he said he had fired at a buzzard, but no empty hulls were found. No empty cases were found near a tree where Alan indicated that he had shot into a squirrel’s nest. Later that day the sheriff returned to the Rouw house and asked to see the weapon Alan had taken hunting. It was given to him by the boy’s father, Marvin Rouw. The officers also obtained some shells and fired a test shot into a car seat. A deputy sheriff had been dispatched through the area to talk to the people who lived there. An autopsy was performed on October 14th. It disclosed that the death of the little girl was caused by a gunshot wound located behind her left ear. Bullet fragments were removed. The pathologist who performed the autopsy said that the bullet was small caliber. He said that the wound could have been consistent with a larger caliber bullet. There was no further contact between the officers and the Rouws until October 18th, when Sheriff Jerry Colvin called the Rouw home and told Alan’s mother that he wanted to pick Alan up at school and ask him some more questions. Mrs. Rouw said that she preferred that the sheriff not ask Alan questions or pick him up at school. The sheriff then asked if it would be all right to pick Alan up before he got on the school bus. When Mrs. Rouw refused to give her permission, the sheriff asked if it would be all right to pick Alan up when he got off the bus, and Mrs. Rouw said no. She told the sheriff if he was going to pick him up, to pick him up at home. The sheriff sent his deputy, C.W. Elrod, to pick Alan up. Elrod went to the Rouw home and, after sitting down and talking with Mrs. Rouw and one of Alan’s sisters, Alan got in the car with Elrod and they started down the road en route to the sheriff’s office. Alan seemed rather quiet. After Elrod had driven a short way, Alan asked Elrod if he knew who killed Lisa. Elrod said, “I believe I do.” After Elrod had driven about 300 yards further, Alan asked, “How do you know who killed Lisa?” Elrod responded, “Well, that’s part of our job.” After Elrod had driven a little further, Alan said, “Well, I got something to tell you. I was at the house and I did shoot her.” Elrod said that he told Alan not to say any more and proceeded to the sheriff’s office where, upon arrival at approximately 5:30 p.m., he told the sheriff what Alan had said. There was no interrogation whatever. There has never before been any exclusionary rule that renders evidence of such statements inadmissible and I cannot join in any such unwarranted extension of Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694, 10 ALR 3d 974 (1966). A statement that is spontaneous, voluntary and unsolicited, made by one who is not being interrogated at the time, is admissible. Steel v. State, 246 Ark. 75, 436 S.W. 2d 800; Crawford v. State, 254 Ark. 253, 492 S.W. 2d 900; Reynolds v. State, 254 Ark. 1007, 497 S.W. 2d 275; Upton v. State, 257 Ark. 424, 516 S.W. 2d 904; Sanders v. State, 259 Ark. 329, 532 S.W. 2d 752; Little v. State, 261 Ark. 859, 554 S.W. 2d 312. The exclusionary rule was developed as a deterrent to police coercion, but this is simply not the sort of police conduct which was intended to be inhibited by Miranda and its progeny. See Ouletta v. Sarver, 307 F.S. 1099 (E.D. Ark., 1970), aff’d. 428 F.2d 804 (8th Cir., 1970). Police officers are not required to gag an accused who wants to confess or make incriminating statements. Statements which do not result from in-custody interrogation are not barred. Johnson v. State, 252 Ark. 1113, 482 S.W. 2d 600. It is just such misapplications of the Miranda rule as that being made here that have caused such great dissatisfaction, both public and judicial, with the exclusionary rule. See, e.g., Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388, 91 S. Ct. 1999, 29 L. Ed. 2d 619 (1971), Burger, C.J., dissenting; Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443, 91 S. Ct. 2022, 29 L. Ed. 2d 564 (1971), Burger, C.J., dissenting. Elrod reported Alan’s statements to Sheriff Colvin. Colvin and Elrod talked with Alan that night for a short while. No significant statement was made by him except for a repetition of what he had said to Elrod. Alan was not warned about his right to remain silent or right to counsel at that time, and he was certainly in custody. When the officers asked him if he wanted to say anything, he responded to Elrod, “No, not in front of all these people. I don’t want to tell anyone but you. You’re the only one I trust.” Elrod asked if it would be all right for the sheriff to stay and Alan said, “Sure, that would be fine.” All the other deputy sheriffs left and Alan repeated what he had told Elrod. The only thing he said that was not virtually identical to his remarks to Elrod was the staement that he had been telling a story about going squirrel hunting. Alan said that he wanted his mother to be there with him and she was called. According to Elrod, while they were awaiting Alan’s mother’s arrival, Alan stated, without being questioned by anyone, that he shot Lisa. Mrs. Rouw said that she became suspicious when the phone rang, because the officers had not told her that Alan would be kept in custody. The Rouws went to the sheriff’s office after the call was received. Elrod testified that the officers had received a call from a young man who had stated that his brother was carrying a gun and that he was going to kill the persons that killed Lisa, if he found them. The officers had gone to the school and talked to the caller’s brother on the 17th. When Mrs. Rouw arrived at the sheriff’s office, she was made aware that threats had been made against the person or persons who killed Lisa. As a result of a discussion of the matter, Alan was held in custody. The officers called it protective custody, but he was “booked in” at 7:15 p.m. on “suspicion of homicide.” Sheriff Colvin believed that he had so advised Mrs. Rouw, but he did tell her that Alan was being held in protective custody. Colvin said that the matter of protective custody was discussed at great length. Elrod said that it was discussed at length. Mrs. Rouw confirmed the officers’ testimony that it was agreed that Alan be held in custody because of the indications that there had been threats of violence. Although Mrs. Rouw said that Alan told her they had already “taped him,” the sheriff said that the officers had not taken any statements down that night, and he could not recall having any tape recorders in the room at that time. No tape recording of these conversations was ever produced or mentioned, except by Mrs. Rouw. The sheriff said that he had none. On the following day, Alan was interrogated by the officers at 11:00 a.m. in the coffee room at the sheriff’s office. The deputy prosecuting attorney and the sheriff were present. Alan was advised of his rights. The sheriff produced a “rights form,” said that Alan read it himself, that it was read to him, that he was made aware of his rights, and that he signed it in the presence of the sheriff and the deputy prosecuting attorney. Alan then made a full confession that was recorded on tape and the tape was played at the trial, but the recording was not transcribed in the record. The sheriff said that Alan appeared a little scared, and he expressed the belief that Alan did “break down” once, or possibly twice, during this interview. Mrs. Rouw said that the sheriff told her after this statement had been taken, that they had gotten the statement they needed, with what they had gotten the night before. On the next day, October 20th, Alan was taken to the Benton County jail for a polygraph examination. His father was present at the place where the test was to be given. Alan had shown some hesitancy about taking the test, and the sheriff tried to explain to the boy and his parents how the polygraph operated. Colvin said that the parents agreed to the examination before Alan, accompanied by his father, was taken to Bentonville. Marvin Rouw confirmed the fact that he agreed to the polygraph examination, but said that no one explained that they would take a statement. Yet, as abstracted by appellant, he testified: We went to find out exactly what had happened. The sheriff asked if it would be alright. We were willing to do that because, as far as we were concerned, it was an accident and they just wanted to hear what they wanted to hear, or they wanted to hear the truth. That was up to them. Even though Marvin Rouw admitted that the officers explained to Alan the manner in which the polygraph examination would be administered, he said that it was not explained to him. Mr. Rouw admitted, however, that he was told that Alan would be asked a series of questions during the polygraph examination, pertaining to school and the death of Lisa Evans, and that the main purpose was “to determine the truth of the death of Lisa.” Don Rystrom, the polygraph examiner for the Benton County sheriff’s office, testified that, before interviewing Alan Rouw, he advised Alan of his rights. Rystrom exhibited a waiver signed by Alan, Colvin, and Rystrom. This instrument contained a statement of rights, which Rystrom said he read to Alan. Rystrom said that he also talked with Alan’s father, and that he “agreed with it.” Rystrom exhibited “a parent’s or guardian’s consent for a minor to receive a polygraph test,” signed by Marvin Rouw. Sheriff Colvin and Rystrom and Alan also signed a written consent to take the examination. Rystrom said that he advised Alan that he never taped any polygraph examinations. He did not advise Alan’s father that he might take a recorded statement from Alan or that the polygraph examination would not be recorded. Rystrom’s testimony about the statement taken by him is abstracted, by appellant, as follows: After I had explained how it worked, the questions were read to Alan and he indicated to me that he had not told the truth. He wanted to tell me the truth then. He said, “Yes, I have been lying,” and I told him I would like to tape a statment and he said, “Fine.” I asked if he wanted his father or sheriff Colvin there and he said “no.” After taking the statement I did not feel it was necessary to take the polygraph due to the circumstances in the investigation. It would have taken me about an hour to administer the test. The statement started at 12:45 and ended at 12:54, it took nine minutes. The purpose of the polygraph was to verify Alan’s story as to what he had told the officers or his truthfulness and it was determined that he admitted that he had not told the truth. I don’t know how long we were in the room. I haven’t noticed any conflicts in the statement that Alan gave me. The story that Alan had told me before was that the shooting was an accident. The confession then made was the last evidence obtained from Alan. He had been in custody less than two days. There was no prolonged or extended interrogation at any time. I cannot understand the emphasis the majority places on the twenty day incarceration. The evidence that the Rouws agreed that Alan be held is overwhelming. The sheriff testified that he had several conversations with the Rouws about holding Alan and that he would not have held him if they had not agreed. He said that Alan’s right to make bond was discussed with his parents at length over the twenty days he was in jail and that he advised them of the bond required, but he could not remember the amount at the time of trial. Any questions of credibility on this or any other point were certainly a matter for resolution by the trial court, and we are in no position to say that the judge resolved them incorrectly. It is clear that the parents were notified when any important step was contemplated. The sheriff deferred to Mrs. Rouw’s wishes in regard to picking Alan up. Marvin Rouw clearly wanted to ascertain the truth about Alan’s involvement as much as the officers did. It is incredible that anyone could say that either of the Rouws would not know the charges on which Alan was held or what he was accused of having done. Marvin testified that he knew Alan was being held in relation to the death of Lisa, but didn’t know what the charges were. The parents were allowed to visit Alan in jail, according to Marvin, “very frequently.” He said they were turned down only one time, but did not indicate that this was at any critical time, so far as the issues here are concerned. Elrod testified that Alan’s parents and sister were able to come see him any time they wanted to, and that they never made any complaint, until the first time Alan came to trial. Appellant relies heavily upon the language of Ark. Stat. Ann. § 45-418 (Repl. 1977), which states that when any juvenile is arrested, the arresting officer shall immediately take the juvenile before the juvenile court. We have held identical language to be directory, but not mandatory. Patrick v. State, 255 Ark. 10, 498 S.W. 2d 337. I am baffled by the majority’s reference to the two principal cases cited by appellant in support of his argument in this respect. In State v. Shaw, 93 Ariz. 40, 378 P. 2d 487 (1963), the court specifically pointed out that voluntary statements, made during transportation from the scene of arrest or during a period of detention when the statute was not being violated, are admissible in accordance with the usual rules of evidence. In State v. White, 408 S.W. 2d 31 (Mo., 1966), the court was careful to point out that it did not consider the question of spontaneous statements by a juvenile prior to being taken before the juvenile judge. There simply is no authority that would exclude Alan’s statements to Elrod when they were en route to the sheriff’s office. Because I see no sound basis for saying that the trial judge’s holding was clearly against the preponderance of the evidence, I could not silently record an unsupported dissent. I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice George Rose Smith and Mr. Justice Byrd join in this opinion.