Bradford v. State

815 S.W.2d 947, 306 Ark. 590, 1991 Ark. LEXIS 453
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedSeptember 30, 1991
DocketCR 91-105
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 815 S.W.2d 947 (Bradford v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bradford v. State, 815 S.W.2d 947, 306 Ark. 590, 1991 Ark. LEXIS 453 (Ark. 1991).

Opinion

Donald L. Corbin, Justice.

Appellant, Charles E. Bradford, was convicted of first degree murder by a Crittenden County Circuit Court jury and sentenced to life imprisonment. On appeal, he challenges the admission of three statements and some photographs. We affirm his conviction.

The evidence in this case reveals that Yvonne Parker was murdered on November 17, 1989. On November 22, 1989, appellant went to the West Memphis Police Department and, after being informed of and waiving his Miranda rights, gave a statement regarding Yvonne Parker’s murder. Appellant denied any involvement in the murder, but admitted that he went to Parker’s trailer on November 17th and found her dead. He told the officers that he panicked and ran from the trailer, taking a bloody towel with him. Toward the end of the statement, Detective James Sudbury told appellant he thought appellant had killed Parker. At that point, appellant told Detective Sudbury he did not want to say any more until he could obtain an attorney. The statement was concluded and appellant was arrested and held pursuant to an outstanding warrant on a drug charge.

On either November 24th or 25th, appellant told a jailer that he wanted to speak to the detectives. The jailer, Rodney Ivy, could not contact the detectives for a few days because of the Thanksgiving holiday. A bond hearing was held on November 27, 1989, and appellant’s father asked the judge for some time to obtain an attorney to represent appellant. The judge granted this request. On November 29th, after being informed that appellant wished to speak with a detective, Detective Sudbury went to see appellant at the jail and asked if he still wanted to speak to a detective. Appellant indicated that he did. Detective Sudbury informed appellant of his rights in the presence of Lieutenant Tony Miller and Detective McCraken. Appellant then signed a waiver of rights form. Following the waiver of his rights, appellant discussed the case with Lieutenant Miller and Detective McCraken. At the end of the discussion, appellant agreed to take a polygraph examination.

A polygraph examination was set up with the Arkansas State Police in Jonesboro and appellant was transported to Jonesboro that afternoon, November 29, 1989. State Police Investigator Charles Beal informed appellant of his rights. Appellant signed a waiver of rights form and gave a statement, telling Investigator Beal that he had also taken Yvonne Parker’s purse when he left the trailer that night. Investigator Beal testified that after the examination was concluded, he read appellant his rights again and appellant then gave a statement admitting that he killed Yvonne Parker.

On November 30, 1989, appellant called Linda McCoy, Yvonne Parker’s sister, from the West Memphis jail and told her that he had killed her sister. Appellant and McCoy lived together for thirteen years and had three children. Appellant’s father was apparently unable to obtain an attorney for him, and counsel was appointed to represent him on December 1,1989. Appellant was charged with first degree murder on January 12, 1990.

Appellant filed a motion to suppress the November 22,1989 statement, the statement following the polygraph examination on November 29,1989, and his statement to Linda McCoy. After a hearing on the motion to suppress, the trial court ruled that all three statements were admissible into evidence.

Appellant first contends the trial court erred by admitting the November 22, 1989 statement to the West Memphis Police Department. Appellant argues this statement should' have been suppressed because he was arrested on November 23, 1989, and ' an attorney was not appointed to represent him until December 1, 1989. He contends this delay, from the time of his arrest until the time counsel was appointed to represent him, violated his constitutional right to counsel; thus, the statement made to the West Memphis police on November 22, 1989, should be suppressed. Appellee responds with the argument that appellant waived his right to counsel prior to giving the November 22,1989 statement.

The burden is on the state to establish that appellant waived his rights and all doubts must be resolved in favor of the individual rights and constitutional safeguards. Sutton v. State, 262 Ark. 492, 559 S.W.2d 16 (1977). The inquiry into the validity of appellant’s waiver of his Miranda rights, specifically his right to counsel, has two distinct dimensions. Colorado v. Spring, 479 U.S. 564 (1987); Burin v. State, 298 Ark. 611, 770 S.W.2d 125 (1989). The waiver must be voluntary and it must be made knowingly and intelligently. Colorado, supra; Burin, supra.

The requirement that a waiver of Miranda rights be voluntary is concerned with coercive police activity. Burin, supra. As appellant never alleged any coercive activity by the police in connection with this statement, we need only consider whether appellant waived his right to counsel knowingly and intelligently prior to giving the statement. Factors bearing on this determination include appellant’s age, experience, education, background, and the length of detention. Burin, supra. Appellant was thirty-three years old and had a twelfth-grade education at the time he gave the statement in question. He had been arrested previously for a drug offense. The statement’began at 11:21 p.m. on November 22, 1989, and was concluded at 12:03 a.m. on November 23, 1989. As stated previously in this opinion, appellant signed a waiver of rights form prior to giving the statement. When he exercised his right to counsel during the statement, the statement was quickly concluded.

Counsel had not been appointed for appellant because he indicated he was trying to obtain his own counsel. On November 22,1989, appellant told the West Memphis police officers that he did not want to talk any more until he got himself an attorney. Similarly, at appellant’s bond hearing on November 27,1989, his father asked the judge for some time to obtain an attorney to represent appellant. At no time did appellant indicate that he wanted appointed counsel. Appellant’s father was apparently unable to obtain counsel for him, thus counsel was appointed to represent him on December 1, 1989. We conclude the statement was not taken in violation of appellant’s right to counsel, and the trial court correctly denied the motion to suppress it.

For his second argument on appeal, appellant contends the trial court erred in admitting the statement he made on November 29,1989, to Investigator Beal after taking the polygraph test. Investigator Beal testified that at 5:18 p.m. on November 29, 1989, he advised appellant of his rights. Investigator Beal testified that appellant indicated to him verbally that he understood those rights and that he signed the rights form. Beal testified further that no force, promises, threats, or coercion were used to get appellant’s signature on the form. After waiving his rights and before taking the polygraph examination, appellant made a brief statement, admitting that he had taken Yvonne Parker’s purse from the trailer on the night of the murder.

Investigator Beal then conducted a polygraph examination on appellant.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

McMickle v. Griffin
254 S.W.3d 729 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2008)
Croston v. State
234 S.W.3d 909 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 2006)
Holloway v. State
213 S.W.3d 633 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2005)
Harper v. State
194 S.W.3d 730 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2004)
Smart v. State
104 S.W.3d 386 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2003)
Hamilton v. State
74 S.W.3d 615 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2002)
Box v. State
71 S.W.3d 552 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2002)
Jefferson v. State
941 S.W.2d 404 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1997)
Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Revels
841 S.W.2d 151 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1992)
RICH MOUNTAIN ELEC. CO-OP., INC. v. Revels
841 S.W.2d 151 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
815 S.W.2d 947, 306 Ark. 590, 1991 Ark. LEXIS 453, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bradford-v-state-ark-1991.