Benitez v. State

952 So. 2d 1275, 2007 WL 1094340
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedApril 13, 2007
Docket2D05-4325
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 952 So. 2d 1275 (Benitez v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benitez v. State, 952 So. 2d 1275, 2007 WL 1094340 (Fla. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

952 So.2d 1275 (2007)

Jose BENITEZ, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 2D05-4325.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

April 13, 2007.

*1276 James Marion Moorman, Public Defender, and Judith Ellis, Assistant Public Defender, Bartow, for Appellant.

Bill McCollum, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Chandra Waite Dasrat, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellee.

WHATLEY, Judge.

Jose Benitez appeals his judgments for five counts of burglary of a dwelling, five counts of grand theft, petit theft, and trespass. Benitez entered a plea to the charges after reserving his right to appeal the denial of his motion to suppress.[1] In his motion to suppress and on appeal, Benitez argues that police did not have reasonable suspicion to stop him and that he did not knowingly and intelligently waive his Miranda[2] rights. We conclude that police did have reasonable suspicion to stop him and affirm as to that claim. However, we reverse because the order denying the motion to suppress suggests that the trial court may have applied an incorrect standard in determining whether Benitez knowingly and intelligently waived his Miranda rights.

The trial court denied the motion to suppress Benitez's confession based on its finding that diminished capacity is not a recognized defense, "The State elicited testimony that the Court finds indicates the defendant is of diminished mental capacity. Diminished Capacity is not a defense recognized in Florida Law." However, Benitez never argued that diminished capacity was the correct test in determining whether he knowingly and intelligently waived his Miranda rights. The only reference to diminished capacity in the record occurs during the State's cross examination of *1277 Benitez's expert witness, Dr. Tracy Henley. The State asked Dr. Henley about a conclusion in her report that, under the totality of circumstances, it is likely that Benitez had a diminished ability to make a valid waiver of his Miranda rights.

We note that a defendant's diminished mental capacity, along with improper coercive police conduct, may be relevant to whether the defendant voluntarily waived his Miranda rights, but his diminished mental capacity is not relevant to whether he knowingly and intelligently waived his Miranda rights. See State v. Stewart, 588 So.2d 1063 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991). At the hearing on the motion to suppress, Benitez's counsel made it clear that he was arguing that Benitez did not knowingly and intelligently waive his rights and that he was not contending Benitez's waiver was not voluntary. Consequently, the trial court should have examined factors relevant to whether Benitez knowingly and intelligently waived his rights.

In Ramirez v. State, 739 So.2d 568, 575-76 (Fla.1999), the Florida Supreme Court held that the following factors must be considered in determining whether a defendant knowingly and intelligently waived his Miranda rights: 1) the manner in which the Miranda rights were given, including any trickery or cajoling; 2) the defendant's age, intelligence, background, and experience; 3) whether the juvenile's parents were contacted and given an opportunity to speak with him before questioning; 4) the location of the questioning; and 5) whether police obtained a written waiver of the Miranda rights.

At the hearing on Benitez's motion to suppress, Detective James Sheely testified regarding the first and fourth factors in Ramirez. Detective Sheely testified that he interviewed Benitez at the police station after he had been taken into custody for burglary. Detective Sheely read the Miranda rights form to Benitez, and after reading each right to Benitez, he paused and made eye contact with Benitez to make sure he was following. Benitez appeared to understand what was going on, did not appear to be puzzled, did not appear to have any difficulty understanding the words he was using, and did not ask any questions. After Detective Sheely finished reading the Miranda form, Benitez specifically told him that he understood the Miranda rights, and Benitez also signed the Miranda form, acknowledging that he understood those rights.[3] Detective Sheely testified that the interview was very "low key" and "laid back" and that Benitez's responses to his questions were "logical."

Benitez has never asserted, and there was no evidence presented at the suppression hearing, that police used threats, coercion or trickery to obtain the confession— which the supreme court has stated is a critical factor in determining whether the Miranda waiver is knowing, voluntary and intelligent. Id. at 576. Further, the trial court found that there was no "coercion on the part of the police and that the detective did not take advantage of the defendant."

Evidence was also presented regarding the second factor in Ramirez: Benitez's age, intelligence, background, and experience.[4] Dr. Henley testified that, although *1278 Benitez was only three months shy of his eighteenth birthday, his test scores indicated that, at best, he was in the mild mental retardation range. Benitez had completed the seventh grade in school.

Concerning the third factor, Detective Sheely testified that Benitez did not have an opportunity to speak with a parent before his interrogation. Detective Sheely attempted to contact Benitez's parent and, when he was unsuccessful, he attempted to contact an aunt with whom Benitez was living. His attempts to contact the aunt were also unsuccessful. However, the situation in the present case is different from that in Ramirez, where the videotape of the confession revealed that police began to ask the appellant about the location of his parents after he had confessed to the crime. Here, Detective Sheely attempted to contact a relative of Benitez before he questioned him about the crime. Id. at 578 n. 8. The final factor in Ramirez, whether police obtained a written waiver of the Miranda rights, was met in this case. Detective Sheely obtained a written waiver of the Miranda rights before he began questioning Benitez.

Unfortunately, there is no indication in the trial court's order that it weighed any of the above factors in a "totality of the circumstances" analysis before denying Benitez's motion to suppress. Id. at 575. Although the trial court stated in its order that it accepted the defense expert's testimony, the court went on to find that Benitez's confession was admissible pursuant to existing law: "Dr. Henley is an expert in the subject about which she testified and the court accepts her opinions but is not persuaded that the defendant's confession is not proper pursuant to existing law."

The defense presented the testimony of Dr. Henley, whose practice consists primarily of conducting psychological assessments. Dr. Henley conducted tests to determine Benitez's ability to understand the Miranda warnings and his IQ, which as noted earlier was in the mild mental retardation range. Dr. Henley testified Benitez correctly understood the Miranda warning that anything he said could be used against him in court. He also understood that if he could not afford a lawyer, one would be appointed for him.

Conversely, Dr. Henley testified that Benitez did not understand the statement that he had the right to remain silent. He also did not understand the Miranda

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Bluebook (online)
952 So. 2d 1275, 2007 WL 1094340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benitez-v-state-fladistctapp-2007.