Court Opinion

ID: 9859747
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 22:34:18.495818+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:04:47.689198
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion
Givan, C.J.
I dissent from the majority opinion in this case. I agree with the statements of law in the majority opinion. The majority concedes that although persons may be illegally arrested or illegally detained, they nonetheless may decide to confess as an act of free will unaffected by the illegality of their arrest or confinement. The majority also recites the fact that the trial judge conducted a hearing as to the legality of appellant’s arrest and the legality of his detention. Following this hearing, the trial judge found that the arrest was illegal and that certain factors concerning the detention were improper, but that, nonetheless, the appellant’s confession was independent of these factors and given of his own free will.
In reversing the trial court in this matter, the majority purports to weigh that evidence without reciting any causal connection between the illegalities and the confession. The majority draws the conclusion from the evidence that the confession was not in fact given by the appellant as his own free will, and concludes the trial court was in error in its factual findings. Thus, this Court substitutes its conclusion, unsupported by facts, that the confession was coerced.
*682After detailed examination of this record, I fail to find any causal connection between the supposed illegalities of appellant’s arrest and detention with the confession he made. In fact, the briefs of appellant fail to make any such connection. Appellant’s brief and the majority opinion simply recite the illegalities and then conclude that the confession should thus be excluded. I find this to be contrary to the authorities cited by the majority in support of their position.
I, therefore, would affirm the trial court in its finding of fact that the confession was admissible.
Arterburn, J., concurs.
Note. — Reported at 348 N.E.2d 623.