Court Opinion

ID: 9594874
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:33:40.421652+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:25.081296
License: Public Domain

BERZON, Circuit Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part:
I concur in the majority opinion with the exception of the conclusion that a remand is necessary to determine whether the violations of § 5033 were a cause of R.P.’s confession. In some cases, whether violations of § 5033 contributed to a juvenile’s confession may be “a factual question to be explored on remand.” United States v. Doe, 862 F.2d 776, 781 (9th Cir.1988) (“Doe II ”). Here, however, the government has never disputed R.P.’s allegation that the failure to provide the benefits of § 5033 contributed to his confession. Nor has the government argued that, were we to hold that § 5033 was violated, a remand would be necessary to determine whether any *1166violations of § 5033 contributed to R.P.’s confession. Indeed, government counsel refused to make such an argument even when invited to do so at oral argument.
The government’s failure to argue for remand on the causation issue is well-advised. Section 5033 sets three requirements for the interrogation of juveniles: (1) advising the juvenile of his rights immediately; (2) notifying the juvenile’s parents immediately; and (3) taking the juvenile before a magistrate judge “forthwith.” 18 U.S.C. § 5033. In every juvenile confession case in which all three of the requirements of § 5033 were violated, this court has concluded that those violations contributed to the confession. See United States v. C.M., 485 F.3d 492, 503-04 (9th Cir.2007) (holding that failure to advise juvenile of her rights immediately, to notify the juvenile’s parents or the consulate, and to arraign a juvenile promptly were a cause of juvenile’s confession); United States v. D.L., 453 F.3d 1115, 1115 (9th Cir.2006) (same); United States v. Juvenile (RRA-A), 229 F.3d 737, 747 (9th Cir.2000) (same); United States v. Doe, 219 F.3d 1009, 1017-18 (9th Cir.2000) (same). Cf Doe II, 862 F.2d at 780-81 (remanding for determination of whether failure to notify juvenile’s parents or the consulate and failure to arraign juvenile promptly caused his confession where juvenile did not allege that he was not promptly notified of his rights). A juvenile not provided any of the protections of § 5033 experiences “isolation from family, friends, and representatives of [his] country,” confusion as to his rights, and a lengthy delay before being taken before a magistrate judge. See RRA-A 229 F.3d at 747; see also C.M., 485 F.3d at 503 (quoting Doe II, 862 F.2d at 781). The protections of § 5033 were formulated on the assumption that failure to provide them is likely to lead to coercive interrogations of juveniles. At the least, in those cases in which none of the protections were provided there is no basis for holding that the violations did not contribute to the confession.
As the majority acknowledges, the burden is on the government to show lack of causation. The government has not suggested that it could meet this burden. I therefore conclude that in light of the government’s position and the complete lack of compliance with § 5033, no remand on the causation question is necessary. I would therefore reverse the juvenile delinquency determination on Counts One, Three, and Five.