Court Opinion

ID: 9602036
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:51:23.663612+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:09.660411
License: Public Domain

STERNBERG, Judge,
specially concurring:
I agree with the majority’s conclusion that the conviction should be reversed. However, I would admit the March 14 statement because it was not in response to interrogation. See People v. Lowe, Colo., 616 P.2d 118 (1980). I do agree that the June 28 statement should have been suppressed.
In my view, the majority goes too far in adopting a per se rule that, absent an express waiver, any statement made by a criminal defendant represented by counsel must be suppressed unless his attorney is notified that the accused is about to be interviewed and given a reasonable opportunity to be present. Instead, I would suppress the June 28 statement because under the totality of circumstances, a valid waiver of the right to representation was not shown.
Adoption of such a per se rule as set out in United States v. Thomas, 474 F.2d 110 (10th Cir. 1973), cert. denied, 412 U.S. 932, 93 S.Ct. 2758, 37 L.Ed.2d 160 (1973), cited by the majority, is unnecessary, undesirable, and contrary to authority in this jurisdiction. In a case dealing with a statement made after a defendant had received his Miranda warnings and requested an attorney, the Colorado Supreme Court recently stated that: “[W]e do not rule out the possibility of a valid waiver after the defendant has requested an attorney.” People v. Traubert, Colo., 608 P.2d 342 (1980). See also People v. Stephens, 188 Colo. 8, 532 P.2d 728 (1975).
Moreover, a per se approach is inconsistent with other Colorado authority which indicates that in determining the validity of a waiver of the right to an attorney the totality of the circumstances must be considered. See, e. g., People v. Davis, 194 Colo. 466, 573 P.2d 543 (1978). The rule adopted by the majority is too broad in that it does not allow for the possibility of the totality of the circumstances demonstrating a waiver, even if one was not expressed.
Consequently, I would reverse the conviction and remand for a new trial at which only the June 8 statement would be excluded, but would not adopt the rule expressed in the majority opinion concerning state•ments made by a defendant after he has an attorney.