Court Opinion

ID: 9541802
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:28:46.435048+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:04:54.968123
License: Public Domain

LARSEN, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. Contrary to the majority’s conclusion, appellant’s statements were not inadmissible under Commonwealth v. Hubble, 509 Pa. 497, 504 A.2d 168 (1986). Also, *157contrary to the majority’s conclusion, I do not agree that there was an “impermissible inducement” by police officers in this case that “tainted” appellant’s statements.
As we stated in Hubble, Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 101 S.Ct. 1880, 68 L.Ed.2d 378 (1981), reh’g. denied, 452 U.S. 973, 101 S.Ct. 3128, 69 L.Ed.2d 984 (1981), does not require a police officer to stand mute when an equivocal mention of the word “lawyer” is uttered by an áccused who has been given his Miranda warnings. In the instant case, appellant merely stated “Maybe I should talk to a lawyer. What good would it do me to tell you?” The police officer responded, in good faith, that he did not know what good it would do him but that he (the officer) would tell the District Attorney of appellant’s cooperation. I do not interpret appellant’s question “what good would it do me to tell you” as a request for a legal opinion from the officer on the legal advantages to be gained by securing legal counsel, nor do I interpret “Maybe I should talk to a lawyer” as an unequivocal request to cease interrogation and retain a lawyer; neither did the suppression court make such interpretations. I would affirm the suppression court and I would uphold the admissibility of appellant’s statements.
FLAHERTY and McDERMOTT, JJ., join in this dissenting opinion.