Court Opinion

ID: 9487251
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 12:11:49.629247+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:52:10.137403
License: Public Domain

FERGUSON, Circuit Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I dissent in the Moreno-Flores case and concur in the Rodriguez-Molina case. Once a defendant invokes his right to remain silent, it must be scrupulously honored. Michigan v. Mosley, 423 U.S. 96, 104, 96 S.Ct. 321, 326-27, 46 L.Ed.2d 313 (1975). All interrogation must cease. Interrogation is express questioning or its “functional equivalent.” Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 300-01, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 1689-90, 64 L.Ed.2d 297 (1980). Any statements or questions that are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response are prohibited. 446 U.S. at 301, 100 S.Ct. at 1689-90. The focus is on the defendant’s perception of the officer’s statements, although the intent of the officer is relevant. 446 U.S. at 301, 100 S.Ct. at 1689-90; United States v. Disla, 805 F.2d 1340, 1347 (9th Cir.1986). “Interrogation tactics need not be violent or physical in nature to be deemed coercive. Psychological coercion is equally likely to result in involuntary statements, and thus is also forbidden.” Collazo v. Estelle, 940 F.2d 411, 416 (9th Cir.1991), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 112 S.Ct. 870, 116 L.Ed.2d 776 (1992).
When Moreno-Flores was arrested on July 8, he invoked his right to remain silent. While Agent Dunlap transported Moreno-Flores to the Border Patrol Office, Dunlap made several statements which, according to his own characterization, were designed to elicit Moreno-Flores’ cooperation and further the investigation. Dunlap explained that 600 pounds of cocaine had been seized and that the appellant was in serious trouble. Dunlap made veiled threats that, if Moreno-Flores did not cooperate by giving up names of other individuals who were involved in cocaine distribution, Moreno-Flores would face a lengthy prison term. Dunlap then left Moreno-Flores at the Border Patrol Office where he spent the night.
The next morning, Dunlap transported Moreno-Flores to court. When Moreno-Flores got into the car Dunlap asked “how was your night?” In response to the statements made the night before, Moreno-Flores stated “after you said it was cocaine, last night, I wanted you to know that ... I thought it was marijuana ... I’m not the big guy in this thing.”
The district court denied Moreno-Flores’ motion to suppress these statements. This court must now decide, inter alia, whether Dunlap’s comments, in context, constituted interrogation of Moreno-Flores after he invoked his right to remain silent. It is important for the court to recognize when deciding whether an officer’s questions and comments constitute interrogation, that the same words that can be coercive and threatening during an arrest, can appear reasonable when repeated in the calm, composed atmosphere of a courtroom and can even convey that the officer was trying to protect the defendant’s rights. In this case, however, it is clear that Moreno-Flores’ statements were the result of Dunlap’s improper interrogation.
Dunlap testified that his words were designed to impress upon Moreno-Flores that “the case was pretty serious,” and to elicit his cooperation. He wanted Moreno-Flores to know that “it would be helpful to me if he would provide information or tell me what he knew about whether there was more cocaine in the area or what other people were involved, people that I didn’t have in custody. Whose cocaine it was.” Dunlap also testified that he wanted Moreno-Flores to cooperate only after he spoke to an attorney. Thus, Dunlap designed his comments to elicit cooperation but then believed that Moreno-Flores would cooperate only after speaking to an attorney.
In its opinion, the majority divides Dunlap’s statements into two parts. It analyzes the statements made on July 8 separately from those made on July 9 and concludes *1174that neither constituted interrogation. This analysis misses the mark in that all of Dunlap’s statements must be evaluated in terms of the totality of the circumstances, not just as individual parts.
The question before this court is whether, focusing on Moreno-Flores’ perception and considering the totality of Dunlap’s comments, were such comments reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. This is not a difficult issue to resolve. Dunlap admitted that he was attempting to elicit an incriminating response from Moreno-Flores. Dunlap testified, however, that he wanted Moreno-Flores to cooperate only after he spoke to an attorney.
The majority concludes that, because Dunlap sought only Moreno-Flores’ future cooperation, Dunlap’s comments were not reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. I disagree. Dunlap’s words were designed to elicit cooperation from Moreno-Flores. It does not matter that Dunlap made a distinction in his own mind between future and immediate cooperation. Our focus must be on Moreno-Flores perception of the comments and whether this perception was reasonable.
By focusing on Dunlap’s hope to obtain information from Moreno-Flores only after he spoke to an attorney, the majority pays mere lip service to the objective test that focuses on the reasonableness of Moreno-Flores’ perception. Instead the majority applies a subjective test that emphasizes Dunlap’s intent in making the comments.
Applying the proper test, it was not unreasonable that Moreno-Flores did not interpret Dunlap’s words such that they sought cooperation only in the future. Moreno-Flores listened to the words Dunlap used and he believed his best hope was to cooperate immediately. Thus, focusing on Moreno-Flores perception, Dunlap’s words, taken in context, were reasonably likely to elicit incriminating statements.
The admission of Moreno-Flores’ statements is subject to a harmless error standard. See Arizona v. Fulminante, 499 U.S. 279, 111 S.Ct. 1246, 113 L.Ed.2d 302 (1991). Following Justice Kennedy’s concurrence in Fulminante, I would find that admitting Moreno-Flores’ statements was not harmless error because the statements amounted to a full confession.
[TJhe court conducting a harmless-error inquiry must appreciate the indelible impact a full confession may have on the trier of fact, as distinguished, for instance, from the impact of an isolated statement that incriminates the defendant only when connected with other evidence. If the jury believes that a defendant has admitted the crime, it doubtless will be tempted to rest its decision on that evidence alone, without careful consideration of the other evidence in the case.
499 U.S. at 313, 111 S.Ct. at 1266.
Because I would hold that it was not harmless error to admit Moreno-Flores’ coerced confession, I dissent in part and concur in part.