Commonwealth v. Martinez

89 Va. Cir. 166, 2014 Va. Cir. LEXIS 137
CourtAugusta County Circuit Court
DecidedAugust 26, 2014
DocketCase Nos. CJ13000077, CJ13000078, CJ13000079
StatusPublished

This text of 89 Va. Cir. 166 (Commonwealth v. Martinez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Augusta County Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Martinez, 89 Va. Cir. 166, 2014 Va. Cir. LEXIS 137 (Va. Super. Ct. 2014).

Opinion

By Judge Victor V. Ludwig

The defendant, Robert Tyler Anthony Martinez, moves this Court to suppress any statements or purported confessions that he made to the investigating officers on August 8 and August 9, 2013. The first occurred in the kitchen of Martinez’s home, with members of his family present; the second occurred in an interrogation room at the Office of the Sheriff of Augusta County after the investigator had advised Martinez of his Miranda rights.

With respect to the first interrogation, Martinez argues that he was in custody and that his admissions were not voluntarily made. With respect to the second interrogation, Martinez argues that he was in custody, that he did not knowingly and intelligently waive his Miranda rights, and that his admissions were not voluntarily made.

I. Facts

A. Applicable to Both Interviews

Dr. Kenneth Showalter, having qualified as an expert, testified that he had interviewed Martinez on two occasions, once for 45 minutes and later for approximately an horn-. He testified that Martinez’s test results indicated [167]*167that he has an IQ of 70 (the average person has an IQ of 100) and that an IQ of 69 yields a diagnosis of mental retardation. During the interviews, they discussed Martinez’s ability to assess his legal situation, and Showalter analyzed whether he could think rationally and be able to project possible outcomes depending on a selected course of action.

Regarding competency to stand trial (an issue which the Court had previously addressed), Showalter said that Martinez had a grasp of certain facts and knowledge, he had a rudimentary understanding of a plea bargain, but Showalter was concerned about Martinez’s ability rationally to understand some of the information that was provided, in terms of how to apply it to his own case. Again, in terms of competency to stand trial, Showalter was concerned about his inability to fully grasp what was going on, e.g., Martinez commented that he probably had a good case because it took the authorities so long to get the evidence.

Showalter agreed that Martinez had some basic factual knowledge, but he did not have a rational understanding of the situation or fully appreciate everything that is involved in the process. Showalter agreed that people with low IQs can understand concepts that are explained to them. He also agreed that Martinez did have that ability, but it took more explanation or repetition for him to do so.

B. August 8 Interview

The interview was recorded, and it was admitted as Commonwealth’s Exhibit 1 (CW1). Investigator Michael Roane testified that, having become involved in the investigation through Child Protective Services and having already interviewed the alleged victim, he first interviewed Martinez at the home of Ms. Payne, Martinez’s grandmother, beginning as early as 9:00 p.m. and as late as 10:00 p.m. on August 8. Susan Peters, Martinez’s mother, said that it was at Martinez’s aunt’s home, although Payne was present as well. When Roane arrived, Payne met him outside, he asked if he could speak to Martinez, and the grandmother gave him permission to do so. Peters was present, as well, and she testified that she did not object to the officer’s interviewing her son because she did not know that she had a choice in the matter. In the event, she did not have a choice. During his presence at the home, Roane was wearing khaki trousers and a polo shirt, and he was armed and displaying his badge.

After being invited to enter the house, Roane introduced himself to Martinez and explained the purpose of his visit. Roane acknowledged that, when he first met Martinez, he perceived that the boy might have some intellectual limitations, but he attempted to address that issue by asking preliminary questions. Roane testified that it was only after satisfying himself that Martinez had sufficient capacity to discuss the issues that he was comfortable continuing the process. Peters testified that it was her perception that Martinez was nervous, to the extent that he “picked at his [168]*168leg until it began bleeding.” Martinez testified that he was “nervous, scared, and that [he] did not know what was going on.” (Roane did not say, but the record shows that Martinez was 15 years old at the time of the interview.) Roane testified that, prior to questioning Martinez, he informed the boy that he was not under arrest and that he was free to leave, and Martinez indicated that he was willing to talk to Roane. CW 1 at 3:10. CW 1 confirms that assertion (at 3:00), although Martinez testified that he did not feel that he was free to leave. During Roane’s questioning of Martinez at the kitchen table, there were several family members present in the general area, passing into and out of the kitchen, and either his grandmother or mother was always present and seated at the table during the interview.

The tenor of interview was conversational and not that of a hostile interrogation. Roane began by asking Martinez where he went to school. Martinez responded that he was at Minnick in Harrisonburg because of behavioral issues at his former high school, Wilson. That led to a discussion about behavioral issues with another student and his acting up in algebra class because he did not like that subject. Martinez volunteered that, since leaving Wilson, where he had a D in algebra class, he had improved his grade to a C or C+. Id. at 5:20.

Roane then asked Martinez if he had any intellectual disabilities, and, after a pause with no response, Roane followed up with a question about whether Martinez took any medication. Martinez quickly responded that he took Adderall and Vega. Id. at 5:40. Martinez subsequently explained that he took Vega to help with his behavioral issues, that it helped calm him, and that he was taking it daily as prescribed. Id.

Roane then asked Martinez if he knew the difference between a truth and a lie. Martinez answered affirmatively, but when asked to explain the difference in his own words Martinez initially struggled. However, Martinez was able to convey that “when you tell the truth you are talking about what the real thing is,” id. at 6:50, and when you tell a lie “[it] is something fake or false.” Id. Martinez was then able to distinguish successfully between a truth and a lie involving concrete examples offered by Roane.

Roane then said, “You can lie to Mom and Dad. You can lie to the teachers. You cannot lie to me.” Id. at 7:50. “It’s a big difference... [because] I have the authority to take away your freedom, and I don’t want to do that.” Id. “If I detect any lies we’re done, and he and I1 are like human lie detectors. We have been doing this, between the two of us, for thirty years.” Id. at 8:20. At approximately the 9:45 mark in CW1, Roane appeared to catch Martinez in a lie about whether the pictures he showed to the alleged victim consisted just of naked girls or naked boys as well. Id. at 9:45. Shortly thereafter, Roane and Martinez had the following exchange:

[169]*169Roane: “I’d be willing to [get you help] as opposed to arresting you and putting you in prison. I don’t want to do that. I don’t think prison is the right place for you. I don’t think you would fare to well in prison____Have you ever been locked up before?”
Martinez: “No.”

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Bluebook (online)
89 Va. Cir. 166, 2014 Va. Cir. LEXIS 137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-martinez-vaccaugusta-2014.