Court Opinion

ID: 9429375
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:26:32.38453+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:19.246075
License: Public Domain

Justice Stevens,
with whom Justice Brennan and Justice Marshall join, dissenting.
This case comes to us from an intermediate appellate court in California. It is a case that the Supreme Court of California deemed unworthy of review. It is a case in which the California Court of Appeal wrote a 38-page opinion, most of which was devoted to an analysis of the question whether, under all of the relevant facts, the respondent was “in custody” under the test set forth in People v. Blouin, 80 Cal. App. 3d 269, 283, 145 Cal. Rptr. 701, 707-708 (1978).
In reviewing that question, the California court analyzed the facts of the case in light of the decisions in People v. Herdan, 42 Cal. App. 3d 300, 116 Cal. Rptr. 641 (1974); People v. Hill, 70 Cal. 2d 678, 452 P. 2d 329 (1969); People v. Arnold, 66 Cal. 2d 438, 426 P. 2d 515 (1967); People v. White, 69 Cal. 2d 751, 446 P. 2d 993 (1968); People v. Sam, 71 Cal. 2d 194, 454 P. 2d 700 (1969); In re James M., 72 Cal. App. 3d 133, 139 Cal Rptr. 902 (1977); People v. McClary, 20 Cal. 3d 218, 571 P. 2d 620 (1977); People v. Randall, 1 Cal. 3d 948, 464 P. 2d 114 (1970); and People v. Howard, 5 Crim. No. 5181 (Cal. App., July 16, 1982). The court also considered and distinguished our opinions in Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U. S. 291 (1980), and Oregon v. Mathiason, 429 U. S. 492 (1977). The court summarized its analysis in the following manner:
*1127“As we have previously stated, the prosecution has the burden of establishing a [sic] voluntariness of the defendant’s statement beyond a reasonable doubt. (People v. Jimenez, [21 Cal. 3d 595, 580 P. 2d 672 (1978)].) In the instant case, there appears to be no conflicting testimony on the Miranda issue. Where the facts are uncontradicted, the appellate court must independently determine beyond a reasonable doubt that the incriminating statement was properly admitted. (People v. Murtishaw, [29 Cal. 3d 733, 753, 631 P. 2d 446, 457 (1981)].)
“We conclude that respondent has not met its burden of establishing that appellant was not in custody during the February 21 interview. Furthermore, the incriminating statements from the February 21 interview should have been suppressed by the trial court. On the record before us, appellant essentially confessed to felony murder during the February 21 interrogation. A confession has been defined as ‘amounting to a declaration of defendant’s intentional participation in a criminal act.’ (People v. McClary, [20 Cal. 3d 218, 230, 571 P. 2d 620, 627 (1977)].) The improper introduction of a confession is reversible error per se. (People v. Randall, [1 Cal. 3d 948, 958, 464 P. 2d 114, 120-121 (1970)].)” App. to Pet. for Cert. 36-37.
Today, without receiving briefs or arguments on the merits, this Court summarily reverses the decision of the intermediate appellate court of California. In doing so the Court notes that “the circumstances of each case must certainly influence a determination of whether a suspect is ‘in custody’ ” and that the ultimate inquiry is whether the restraint on freedom of movement is “of the degree associated with a formal arrest.” Ante, at 1125. I believe that other courts are far better equipped than this Court to make the kind of factual study that must precede such a determination. We are far too busy to review every claim of error by a prosecutor who *1128has been unsuccessful in presenting his case to a state appellate court. Moreover, those courts are far better equipped than we are to assess the police practices that are highly relevant to the determination whether particular circumstances amount to custodial interrogation. I therefore respectfully dissent from the Court’s summary decision of the merits of this case.