Court Opinion

ID: 9778126
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:33:42.946038+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:03.982050
License: Public Domain

BARDGETT, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. For the purpose of clarity and continuity I will set forth the facts as I see them from the record.
In addition to the written statement given by the appellant, there was an oral statement which the trial court also admitted into evidence over objection. The primary issues in this case are: 1) did the appellant at any time during his interrogation assert his right to speak with an attorney; 2) if he did assert that right, at what point in time did he do it; and 3) did he waive that right? There is some disagreement on the facts of this case, specifically, what exactly was said about requesting an attorney and when was it said?
On August 15, 1973, appellant went to the police in Sedalia of his own volition to be questioned about a murder which had occurred on August 13, 1973. At this time appellant was given the “Miranda ” warnings which he acknowledged he understood. Nothing occurred during this interrogation to further implicate the appellant. He claims, however, the police told him they were not satisfied with his answers and if he did not “come clean” they “would put the B” on him. He took this as a threat to give him a polygraph test. The police, however, stated they only asked the appellant whether he would be willing to take a polygraph test to which he answered yes.
The next morning appellant arrived at the Pettis county courthouse in Sedalia in order to be transported to highway patrol troop A headquarters at Lee’s Summit where the polygraph test would occur. At approximately 11:30 a. m., the appellant was ushered into a room where Corporal Merl Buesing was to conduct the test. When appellant entered the room, Buesing presented him with a waiver form which advised that appellant had the right to remain silent, that anything he said could be used against him in a court of law, he had a right to talk with an attorney and have him present during questioning, and if he could not afford an attorney one would be appointed. Buesing then explained to appellant how the polygraph machine operated. At this point, according to Buesing, the appellant said something to the effect he didn’t know whether he should have an attorney or not. According to Buesing he told appellant he would have to decide before they went on. There was a fifteen-second pause after which Buesing began asking more questions and explaining the operation of the polygraph machine. Shortly after the mention of an attorney, the appellant signed the waiver form.
The appellant’s memory of this event is somewhat different from Buesing’s account. According to appellant after the rights were read to him Buesing asked whether appellant wanted to go ahead and talk, to which appellant replied, “I think that I would rather see an attorney before I answer any questions.” Furthermore, a friend of appellant’s, Greg Woods, knew some attorneys in Sedalia and appellant wanted to speak with Woods. According to appellant, Buesing said he would make arrangements for appellant to meet with Woods when he returned to Sedalia. After this, the appellant signed the waiver form.
Buesing then conducted the polygraph test. After the test was concluded, Buesing continued to question appellant about the murder. Buesing asked the appellant whether the police had to look any further, to which appellant answered “no”. Right after this, appellant stated once again he didn’t know if he should talk to an attorney or not. On cross-examination Buesing agreed that appellant had mentioned that he might want to talk with Greg Woods *56about a lawyer, but Buesing could not remember when. After the appellant’s second statement about seeing a lawyer, Buesing did not ask any more questions of appellant. Buesing then called Sedalia to ask them if they could have Greg Woods at headquarters because appellant wanted to speak with Woods and he informed them appellant might want to talk with an attorney. According to appellant, after he answered “no” to the question of whether the police had to look any further, Buesing brought up the subject of Greg Woods and where he could be found.
Officer Donley who was listening to the questioning from an adjoining room remembered that toward the end of the questioning the appellant mentioned he might want to talk with an attorney and Greg Woods. Donley did not remember a similar conversation having occurred earlier.
Prior to the time appellant answered the question about looking any further, Buesing made a statement about corpus delicti and the use of confessions. According to Bues-ing he told the appellant something to the effect, “[t]hat the Metro Squad was developing evidence in the case which was pointing more and more to him [appellant] and that this evidence would be necessary in making a case against him besides . there must be something besides his own admission.” Buesing acknowledged on cross-examination that he said something to the effect that an out-of-court statement could not be used to convict without the establishment of the corpus delicti. Appellant claims that Buesing told him it would be unconstitutional to convict someone on the basis of a confession.
Buesing testified that after the appellant made this second request for a lawyer, he ceased questioning appellant and left the room. He testified further that while out of the room he placed a call to the police in Pettis county to tell them the appellant had asked to speak with Greg Woods about finding a lawyer and that appellant might want to speak with an attorney. In addition Buesing asked that arrangements be made to bring Woods to the Pettis county courthouse so he could speak with the appellant. Corporal Buesing told appellant that he had arranged for appellant to see Woods. Buesing stated that at the time he made the arrangements for appellant to see Woods he knew the reason why appellant wanted to do so was because “He [appellant] said he wanted to talk to him [Woods] about a lawyer.” There is also testimony from the sheriff of Pettis county that he had been advised the appellant might want to talk with an attorney. In turn, the sheriff advised the prosecuting attorney of what he had learned. The prosecuting attorney then contacted Judge Frank Armstrong of Pettis county about the availability of an attorney should the appellant request one. The judge informed the prosecuting attorney that Adam Fischer was next on the appointment list and if a request for an attorney developed Fischer should be considered appointed. The prosecutor contacted Fischer around 5:00 p. m. in order to know where he could locate him if he needed to get in touch with him.
After calling Sedalia, Buesing, Donley, and the appellant went to a restaurant in Lee’s Summit. Buesing and Donley then transported appellant back to Sedalia where he was again questioned, this time by the sheriff of Pettis county and Buesing. Before the questioning began, the sheriff read appellant the Miranda warnings. According to the sheriff when he asked the appellant whether he wanted to talk, the appellant responded that he didn’t know whether he should talk without consulting a lawyer. The sheriff testified he reiterated that it was up to the appellant to decide if he wanted to speak with an attorney or he could talk about the murder. According to the sheriff, “He [appellant] said he guessed he would.”
The appellant’s version is somewhat different. He remembers the sheriff reading him the Miranda warnings but claims he was distracted by something Buesing said and the last thing he remembers was the sheriff asking whether he understood his rights. To this the appellant says he responded, “Yes I do.” But when the sheriff *57went ahead with his questions the appellant claims he stopped the sheriff and said, “I would rather see an attorney before I answered any questions.” According to the appellant the sheriff then left the room for the purpose appellant thought of calling a lawyer. But when the sheriff returned he was carrying a typewriter. The sheriff then proceeded to take a statement from appellant which was typed out and which appellant signed.
The first issue presented by appellant is whether it was proper for the trial court to have admitted into evidence the appellant’s response to Buesing’s question, “do we have to look any further?” This is essentially a two-part question: 1) whether the appellant asserted his right to speak with an attorney, and 2) if he did assert that right did he subsequently waive that right?
In Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, at 474, 86 S.Ct. 1602, at 1628, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), the U. S. Supreme Court set forth a rule that, “[i]f the individual states that he wants an attorney, the interrogation must cease until an attorney is present.” In the instant case there is a discrepancy in the testimony between the appellant and Bues-ing as to what was actually said with respect to a request for an attorney. According to appellant he made an unequivocal request to consult with an attorney, i. e., “I think I would rather see an attorney before I answer any questions.” On the other hand, Buesing testified that the appellant merely said, “he didn’t know whether he should have an attorney or not.” It is unnecessary for us to decide whether the appellant’s or Buesing’s version of what was said constituted a sufficient assertion of appellant’s right to speak with a lawyer because we have found he effectively waived this right when he signed the waiver form.
Just because a person in custody invokes the right to speak with an attorney does not preclude him from waiving that right later and proceeding to talk with the authorities. In United States v. Scogin, 459 F.2d 182 (8th Cir. 1972), the defendant sought to suppress as involuntarily made certain oral and written statements given to the police in which she acknowledged her complicity in a crime. She was given the full Miranda warnings and responded that she understood her rights. Prior to answering any questions, she unsuccessfully attempted to call an attorney after which she was re-warned of her rights which she waived and then submitted to interrogation. With regard to the waiver of one’s rights after requesting to speak with an attorney, the court said at 184: “The mere fact that she was unsuccessful in reaching an attorney does not prohibit interrogation where it is clear that she knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily elected to proceed without one.” See also United States v. Marchildon, 519 F.2d 337 (8th Cir. 1975), wherein this principle was reiterated.
The instant case is similar to Scogin. Assuming arguendo the appellant actually did request a lawyer, the evidence shows he “knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily” waived that right when he signed the waiver form. There is no evidence to suggest the appellant was forced, pressured, or compelled to make a statement. All Buesing said was the decision was up to the appellant. The record shows the appellant was read his rights on the previous day at which time he said he understood them; he was read those same rights before he was given the polygraph test and he said he understood them. Not only did he say he understood them but he signed a form in which he waived his right to remain silent and talk with an attorney. The state has successfully met its heavy burden of showing the waiver was made knowingly and voluntarily.
Next the appellant suggests his answer to Buesing’s question, “do we have to look any further”, was not made voluntarily because he was tricked and deceived into giving the answer by what Buesing said about the necessity of establishing a corpus delicti before a confession would be admissible. The appellant directs the court’s attention to two quotes from Miranda where the court said at 455 and at 476, 86 S.Ct. at 1617, and at 1629: “When normal proce*58dures fail to produce the needed result, the police may resort to deceptive stratagems such as giving false legal advice . The police then persuade, trick or cajole him out of exercising his constitutional rights.” “. . . any evidence that the accused was threatened, tricked, or cajoled into a waiver will, of course, show that the defendant did not voluntarily waive his privilege.”
Even if a statement is obtained by trickery, it does not necessarily mean that it should be suppressed. In State v. Stubenrauch, 503 S.W.2d 136 (Mo.App.1973), the defendant claimed his statements should have been suppressed because the police obtained them by deceiving him into believing other persons had implicated him. Assuming this to be true, the court of appeals still held the confession obtained was admissible. Frazier v. Cupp, 894 U.S. 731, 89 S.Ct. 1420, 22 L.Ed.2d 684 (1969), is cited as authority for the proposition that, although the defendant has in some way been deceived into confessing, his confession is admissible where he has been previously advised of his rights.
The rule with respect to the exclusion of confessions has been stated in other jurisdictions to be that confessions obtained by fraud, trickery, or deception will not be suppressed unless the subterfuge was likely to produce an untrustworthy confession. Commonwealth v. Jones, 457 Pa. 423, 322 A.2d 119 (Pa.1974); see generally Anno., 99 A.L.R.2d 772. In Jones the court also said a confession should be suppressed where the degree of subterfuge so offends the societal notions of fairness. In the case at bar the statement had no signs that it was untrustworthy or was the degree of subterfuge so reprehensible as to cause the statement to be excluded on this ground alone. However, I believe this is a factor to be considered with reference to the question of waiver of right to an attorney which is the next issue.
The appellant’s next contention is that the trial court erred in admitting the written statement into evidence. From all the facts it seems apparent the appellant asserted his right to speak with a lawyer at approximately 3:30 p. m., shortly after he answered Buesing’s question, “do we have to look any further”. Again, there are two different versions of what transpired, but even taking the state’s version it is clear the appellant asserted his right to speak with an attorney. According to the state’s evidence, the appellant stated only that “he didn’t know whether he should talk to an attorney or not”, and he had a friend in Sedalia, Greg Woods, who knew some attorneys and he would like to speak with Woods. The appellant’s first statement in conjunction with his request to speak with Greg Woods who knew some attorneys was tantamount to a request to see an attorney. There is no question but what appellant’s request to Corporal Buesing at Lee’s Summit about talking with Greg Woods with respect to getting a lawyer was understood by Buesing to be an exercise by appellant of his rights as explained to him in the Miranda warnings. Buesing immediately stopped questioning appellant and telephoned Seda-lia in order to accommodate appellant’s request with respect to Woods and finding a lawyer. Although appellant’s requests were all oriented toward talking with a lawyer, the authorities in Sedalia after receiving Buesing’s call merely made some tentative arrangements so as to be able to contact a lawyer later, which they never did. Furthermore, Buesing told appellant that Woods would be available in Sedalia when they arrived.
There is no doubt that once an individual has asserted his right to speak with an attorney that he may at a later time under certain circumstances waive that right. Brewer v. Williams, 430 U.S. 387, 403, 92 S.Ct. 619, 30 L.Ed.2d 618 (1977); United States v. Clark, 499 F.2d 802 (4th Cir. 1974); United States v. Scogin, supra.
It is important to note at this point that waiver is not something which is lightly found by the courts. Brewer, supra, at 404, 92 S.Ct. 619. In order to establish a waiver under federal constitutional law, it is “incumbent upon the State to prove ‘an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a *59known right or privilege.’ ” Id., quoting Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 464, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 1023, 82 L.Ed. 146 (1938).
“It has been pointed out that ‘courts indulge [in] every reasonable presumption against waiver’ of fundamental constitutional rights and that we ‘do not presume acquiescence in the loss of fundamental rights.’ A waiver is ordinarily an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right or privilege. The determination of whether there has been an intelligent waiver of the right to counsel must depend, in each case, upon the particular facts and circumstances surrounding that case, including the background experience and conduct of the accused.” Id. In addition, it should be remembered that the state has a heavy burden of proof when it comes to showing the appellant knowingly, intentionally, and voluntarily waived his right to counsel. Brewer, supra; Seogin, supra.
In the instant case the state has failed to carry that burden with regard to the written confession elicited from the appellant in Sedalia.
The evidence shows the appellant asserted his right to counsel at approximately 3:30 p. m. in Lee’s Summit and that Bues-ing recognized this, i. e., stopped interrogation, and placed a call to Sedalia. The evidence also shows that when appellant was returned to Sedalia the sheriff re-warned appellant of his rights and initiated further interrogation. At some point after the reading of the rights or after the interrogation had begun, the appellant made another request for an attorney. The sheriff’s version is that appellant said something to the effect he didn’t know whether he should go on talking without an attorney. The appellant’s version is that after he said he understood his rights the sheriff began to question him to which appellant responded, “I would rather see an attorney before I answered any questions.” Whichever version of this colloquy is correct is unimportant because the appellant had already asserted his right to speak with an attorney. The real question is whether he waived that right.
According to the sheriff, after appellant mentioned the attorney, he told appellant it was appellant’s decision to either speak with an attorney or talk about the murder. The sheriff testified that “He [appellant] said he guessed he would”, meaning he would talk to the police. I am of the opinion that this did not constitute a valid waiver under the circumstances of this case. These circumstances are: 1) appellant effectively asserted his right to speak with an attorney; 2) the police a few hours later at their own initiation began to reinterrogate the appellant; 3) there was nothing to suggest prior to the interrogation in Sedalia that the appellant had changed his mind about seeing an attorney; 4) the appellant reiterated his desire to speak with an attorney; 5) the police attempted to get the appellant to change his mind by telling him the decision was his; 6) the appellant responded half-heartedly and somewhat equivocally that he “guessed he would” talk; and 7) appellant responded to an earlier inquiry by saying the police didn’t have to look any further on the false premise put forth by the officer that a statement alone could not convict appellant when the officer knew there was a provable corpus delicti.
These facts present a situation where the appellant half-heartedly submitted to police interrogation after their repeated attempts to get him to talk as well as their repeated disregard of his request for a lawyer. In our opinion, the repeated attempts to question the appellant and the subtle attempts to influence the appellant by telling him it was his decision resulted in coercion on the part of the authorities. Under some circumstances, the phrase “I guess I would” might constitute a valid waiver, but here it appears to be a statement made in desperation because the authorities obviously were not going to allow the appellant to speak with Woods about an attorney.
In United States v. Clark, 499 F.2d 802 (4th Cir. 1974), the defendant was taken into custody as a suspect in a bank robbery and was taken before a magistrate who determined he was not entitled to a court-appointed attorney. That same day the *60F.B.I. read the defendant his rights and questioned him about the robbery. At approximately 4:30 p.m. while the F.B.I. was interrogating him the defendant requested to see an attorney. At this point the questioning ceased. Later that day, at about 8:00 p.m., an F.B.I. agent initiated a conversation with the defendant in which he asked whether the defendant would submit to further questioning. The defendant reiterated his desire to speak with an attorney. The agent in turn told the defendant he might as well talk because eventually the police would find him out if he wasn’t telling the truth. The agent then read the defendant his rights which the defendant acknowledged, but he refused to sign the waiver form. During the questioning which proceeded the defendant confessed.
The court held the confession should have been suppressed on both Fifth and Sixth Amendment grounds. The court singled out a number of factors which were the key to its determination that the confession was not voluntary. The court first remarked “evidence that an accused has previously asserted his right to confer with counsel is a factor which weighs heavily against finding that a subsequent uncounseled confession is voluntary.” 499 F.2d at 807. Another factor, according to the court, which pointed towards involuntariness is the initiation by the authorities of a subsequent interview in which a confession is elicited. This factor is even more important where there is no evidence to indicate that the decision to conduct a second interview was made as a result of new facts or the defendant’s change of mind.
The instant case presents the same elements which suggest involuntariness as those presented in Clark. Considering the above factors and the evidence in this case, I cannot conclude the state has carried its heavy burden to show that appellant knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his rights.
The court in Clark, quoting from United States v. Crisp, 435 F.2d 354, 357 (7th Cir. 1970), states at 807 that, “[o]nce the privilege has been asserted, ... an interrogator must not be permitted to seek its retraction, total or otherwise.” I do not agree with this rule as it is stated in Clark. There may be some circumstances in which an interrogator might be authorized to seek a retraction and, therefore, an inflexible rule such as this would be unworkable. I express no further opinion as to what those circumstances might be. See Michigan v. Mosley, 423 U.S. 96, 96 S.Ct. 321, 46 L.Ed.2d 313 (1975), for a discussion of the result of such an inflexible rule with regard to a person’s right to remain silent and thereby cut off a custodial interrogation.
I am mindful of the recent case of Oregon v. Mathiason, 429 U.S. 492, 97 S.Ct. 711, 50 L.Ed.2d 714 (1977), which concerns a situation where a person voluntarily appears at a police station, is never in custody, and is free to depart at any time, which Mathiason did. The immediate distinction between Mathiason and the instant case is that Mathiason never asked to see a friend or an attorney whereas, here, appellant sought to take proper advantage of his right to see a lawyer and was frustrated in the attempt by the authorities. It also seems clear that after appellant acknowledged to Buesing that the police need look no further the appellant was certainly in custody and remained in custody throughout the questioning by the sheriff and Buesing in Sedalia. Appellant was not free to leave.
Appellant’s efforts to exercise his rights by talking with Woods about getting a lawyer were forestalled by the delaying tactics of the authorities. The right to see a lawyer having been clearly invoked by appellant, it then became the obligation of the state to show that appellant thereafter freely and voluntarily waived that right. See Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 473, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966); People v. Ireland, 70 Cal.2d 522, 75 Cal.Rptr. 188, 194-196, 450 P.2d 580, 586, 588 (Banc 1969); People v. Harris, 552 P.2d 10 (Colo.banc 1976); People v. Parnell, 31 Ill.App.3d 627, 334 N.E.2d 403 (1975). In my opinion, the state has failed to sustain its burden on this issue. The statement or confession given to *61the sheriff and Buesing by appellant after their return to Sedalia is, I believe, for the reasons stated supra, inadmissible and the trial court erred in admitting that statement into evidence over appellant’s objection.
I would reverse the judgment and remand the case for a new trial and, therefore, I dissent.