Court Opinion

ID: 9526876
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:25:28.869357+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:16.104417
License: Public Domain

Bronson, J.
Defendant was convicted on July 12, 1976, after a bench trial, of kidnapping, MCL 750.349; MSA 28.581, second-degree criminal sexual conduct, MCL 750.520c(1)(a); MSA 28.788(3)(1)(a), and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, MCL 750.84; MSA 28.279. He appeals of right.
We reverse all three convictions, holding that a confession introduced at trial was obtained in violation of Miranda v Arizona, 384 US 436; 86 S Ct 1602; 16 L Ed 2d 694 (1966).
In early December, 1975, defendant appeared at the Wyoming, Michigan Police Department and attempted to turn over some marijuana and drug paraphernalia. No arrest was made. A few days later, defendant attempted suicide by taking a drug overdose. After emergency treatment, he was transferred to a mental institution. While at the institution, defendant began to discuss his criminal sexual involvement with a young child in conversations with hospital staff. Someone1 at the hospital informed the Wyoming police of these admissions. The police obtained a warrant and arrested defendant upon his release on a marijuana charge, based on defendant’s attempt to turn over the drug to police prior to his hospitalization. Officer Cline of the Wyoming Police Department admitted that at the time of defendant’s arrest on the marijuana charge, the information received from the hospital had caused him to focus upon defend*451ant as the prime suspect in the 1975 kidnapping, sexual assault and stabbing of a five-year-old girl.
Defendant was taken to the Wyoming police station. Officer Cline testified that he then asked defendant to sign a Miranda rights waiver form:
"Q. Did he sign this?
"A. No, sir, he did not.
"Q. Do you know why he did not, or did he indicate why?
"A. He advised me at that time that he would rather talk to an attorney before talking to me about it.”
No attorney was ever furnished. Different versions of what happened next were presented by defendant and Officer Cline. Defendant testified that immediately after he requested an attorney, Officer Cline began to interrogate him, stating that he had a good idea that the defendant had something on his mind, and suggesting that he could insure that defendant would get the psychiatric treatment he desired if he confessed. Officer Cline testified that he first "processed” defendant on the marijuana charge and then the two engaged in "general conversation” for about an hour. Cline testified that defendant initiated the idea of treatment at a forensic center and confessed after Cline had indicated that treatment could be obtained.
There is no dispute that about 1-1/2 hours after defendant had asked for an attorney, he waived his rights and confessed. An hour after that he again waived his rights and confessed on video tape.
After a pretrial Walker2 hearing, the trial judge held the confession admissible, relying on Michigan v Mosley, 423 US 96; 96 S Ct 321; 46 L Ed 2d *452313 (1975), although he expressed doubts about the applicability of that case.
As stated in Mosley, the procedure to be followed after an accused requests counsel is detailed in Miranda:
" 'If the individual states that he wants an attorney, the interrogation must cease until an attorney is present. At that time, the individual must have an opportunity to confer with the .attorney and to have him present during any subsequent questioning. If the individual cannot obtain an attorney and he indicates that he wants one before speaking to police, they must respect his decision to remain silent.
" 'This does not mean, as some have suggested, that each police station must have a "station house lawyer” present at all times to advise prisoners. It does mean, however, that if police propose to interrogate a person they must make known to him that he is entitled to a lawyer and that if he cannot afford one, a lawyer will be provided for him prior to any interrogation. If authorities conclude that they will not provide counsel during a reasonable period of time in which investigation in the field is carried out, they may refrain from doing so without violating the person’s Fifth Amendment privilege so long as they do not question him during that time.’ ” Michigan v Mosley, supra, at 101, n 7, quoting Miranda v Arizona, supra, at 474.
See People v McGillen #1, 392 Mich 251; 220 NW2d 677 (1974), People v Brannan, 64 Mich App 374; 236 NW2d 80, lv granted, 395 Mich 812 (1975), People v Lewis, 47 Mich App 450; 209 NW2d 450 (1973).
The difficult question presented in this case is whether a suspect who has asserted his right to counsel may later waive that right without having spoken to a lawyer. The courts which have considered this issue have reached different results.
The weight of authority holds that a subsequent *453waiver of a once-invoked right to counsel may be valid in certain circumstances. See, e.g., United States v Rodriguez-Gastelum, 569 F2d 482 (CA 9, 1978), United States v Massey, 550 F2d 300 (CA 5, 1977), United States v Pheaster, 544 F2d 353 (CA 9, 1976), United States v Womack, 542 F2d 1047 (CA 9, 1976), United States v Cavallino, 498 F2d 1200 (CA 5, 1974), United States v Lewis, 425 F Supp 1166 (D Conn, 1977), People v Sparks, 82 Mich App 44; 266 NW2d 661 (1978). These cases generally rely on language in Miranda permitting waiver of rights3 and Michigan v Mosley, supra, which allowed a subsequent waiver of the right to remain silent. While we find that Mosley expressly did not decide the issue in the case at bar,4 the rationale of Mosley militates against application of a per se exclusionary rule:
"[A] blanket prohibition against the taking of voluntary statements or a permanent immunity from further interrogation, regardless of the circumstances, would transform the Miranda safeguards into wholly irrational obstacles to legitimate police investigative activity, and deprive suspects of an opportunity to make informed and intelligent assessments of their interests.” Michigan v Mosley, supra, at 102.
We hold that a person who has invoked his right to counsel may later waive that right without an attorney.
While we reject a per se rule in this case, we do recognize differences between a suspect’s assertion of a right to remain silent and his assertion of a *454right to counsel. A waiver made after assertion of a right to counsel should be viewed with skepticism; once an individual decides that he is incapable of communicating with authorities absent counsel, we should be very suspicious of a later, counselless waiver. See Michigan v Mosley, supra (White, J., concurring).5
In light of this difference, a more careful scrutiny of the suspect’s waiver is required than for a waiver made prior to the assertion of right to counsel or after assertion of the right to remain silent. United States v Cavallino, supra, United States v Lewis, supra. In particular, police should not be allowed to ignore a suspect’s request for a lawyer; interrogation must cease until, at the least, a reasonable opportunity to obtain counsel has been afforded. The normal heavy burden which the prosecution bears in proving the validity of a waiver should be of a very high standard where waiver of a previously invoked right to counsel is involved.
In the case at bar, the prosecution has not borne its very heavy burden of proving a valid waiver. Even accepting Officer Cline’s version of the facts as true, there was less than a half-hour break in questioning after defendant requested a lawyer.6 *455Officer Cline was aware that defendant had been experiencing emotional and drug problems and had just been released from an institution. Finally, defendant testified that there was no break in interrogation at all.
We are left with a "definite and firm conviction” that the trial court erred in holding the confession admissible. See People v McGillen #1, supra. The prosecution failed to carry its very heavy burden of proof that defendant validly waived his right to counsel.
We also hold that the admission of defendant’s confession at trial cannot be deemed harmless error.
In view of our disposition of this case, we need not address the other issues raised by defendant.
Reversed and remanded for a new trial.
M. F. Cavanagh, P. J., concurred.

 The record does not discloe who released the information.

 People v Walker (On Rehearing), 374 Mich 331; 132 NW2d 87 (1965).

 "If the interrogation continues without the presence of an attorney and a statement is taken, a heavy burden rests on the government to demonstrate that the defendant knowingly and intelligently waived his privilege against self-incrimination and his right to retained or appointed counsel.” 384 US at 475.

 Mosley expressly distinguished the two issues, limiting its holding to the right to remain silent. 423 US at 101, n 7, 104, n 10.

 Justice White commented:
"[Tjhe reasons to keep the lines of communication between the authorities and the accused open when the accused has chosen to make his own decisions are not present when he indicates instead that he wishes legal advice with respect thereto. The authorities may then communicate with him through an attorney. More to the point, the accused having expressed his own view that he is not competent to deal with the authorities without legal advice, a later decision at the authorities’ insistence to make a statement without counsel’s presence may properly be viewed with skepticism.” 423 US at 110, n 2.

 Although Officer Cline denied "interrogating” defendant, it appears that the "general conversation” was designed to elicit a confession. See Brewer v Williams, 430 US 387; 97 S Ct 1232; 51 L Ed 2d 424 (1977).