Commonwealth v. Vaughn

10 Pa. D. & C.4th 560, 1991 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 317
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedMarch 20, 1991
Docketno. 4327
StatusPublished

This text of 10 Pa. D. & C.4th 560 (Commonwealth v. Vaughn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Vaughn, 10 Pa. D. & C.4th 560, 1991 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 317 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991).

Opinion

SAVITT, J.,

This is an appeal by the Commonwealth from this court’s granting of a motion to suppress the statement of defendant Kemo Vaughn on the basis of the police’s failure to take it within six hours of his arrest as required by Pennsylvania case law. The testimony at the suppression hearing held on January 31, 1991 and February 4, 1991 showed the facts to be as follows.

Defendant Kemo Vaughn, who was then 16 years of age, was arrested pursuant to a valid warrant on June 27, 1989 at 8:45 a.m. It was more than an hour and a half before a police wagon arrived to transport defendant to the Police Administration Building and he did not arrive there until between 10:30 and 11 a.m. Upon his arrival defendant was asked to give the detectives names of adult friends and relatives who could come down to the Police Administration Building to be present with him when he was questioned. He gave the names and correct addresses for his aunt and his grandmother, but did not give phone numbers saying he did not know his aunt’s number and that his grandmother had no phone. He provided the address and phone number of his girlfriend. He also provided his mother’s name and maiden name but was unable to give her exact address because she was living around 40th and Cambridge Streets with her boyfriend. The detectives then called personnel at the districts in which defendant’s aunt and grandmother lived asking them to contact defendants relatives concerning his situation. The detectives subsequently learned that no [562]*562one was found at either of these addresses and that messages had been left for the defendant’s aunt and grandmother to call the homicide unit. No attempt was made to contact defendant’s mother because no exact address could be found for her.

In the interim, defendant was neither given Miranda warnings nor questioned concerning the incident, but,was left alone in an interrogation room. Shortly after 2 p.m., defendant’s mother arrived at the Police Administration Building, having been contacted at her work place by defendant’s grandmother. The mother was informed by Detective Ansel of the charges against her son, was told that it would be in his best interest to give a statement and was permitted to be alone with him in the interrogation room for a short period of time. Detective Ansel then entered the room, advised defendant and his mother of his Miranda rights and left the room. At about 2:45 p.m. defendant’s mother knocked on the door and informed the detectives that defendant was willing to give a statement. At 3 p.m., just prior to giving the statement, defendant and his mother signed a form, purporting to waive the six-hour rule, at which time the six hours had already elapsed. The statement began at 3:10 p.m., six hours and 25 minutes after defendant’s arrest. It continued with a 10-minute interruption until 4:50 p.m., eight hours and five minutes after defendant was arrested.

The Commonwealth here argues that the statement should not have been suppressed first, because the delay in taking defendant’s statement was necessary and was unrelated to obtaining the statement and second, becausé defendant and his mother signed a document purporting to waive the six-hour rule as set forth in Pennsylvania case law.

With respect to the question of delay in Commonwealth v. Davenport, 471 Pa. 278, 370 A.2d 301 [563]*563(1977), the Pennsylvania. Supreme Court held that failing to arraign a defendant within six hours of his arrest required suppression of a voluntary statement. The Davenport court, quoting Commonwealth v. Williams, 455 Pa. 569, 319 A.2d 419 (1974), set forth a three-part test for determining whether evidence obtained during a prearraignment delay should be suppressed: (1) the delay must be unnecessary; (2) the evidence must be prejudicial; (3) the evidence must be reasonably related to the delay. In the cases which followed Davenport the courts have defined necessary delay as that which is reasonably required for the administrative. processing of the accused citizen. Commonwealth v. Jenkins, 500 Pa. 144, 454 A.2d 1004 (1982), quoting Commonwealth v. Futch, 447 Pa. 389, 290 A.2d 417 (1972). Extended delay for the purpose of obtaining an incriminating statement is unnecessary delay. Commonwealth v. Davenport, supra. A confession must be reasonably related to the delay in the sense that it would not have been obtained had it not been for the delay. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 516 Pa. 407, 532 A.2d 796 (1987), citing Commonwealth v. Cherry, 457 Pa. 201, 321 A.2d 611 (1974).

In Commonwealth v. Duncan, 514 Pa. 395, 525 A.2d 1177 (1987), the Supreme Court modified the rule of Davenport to the extent that a voluntary statement obtained within six hours of arrest is not considered to be in violation of the rights of the accused and should be admitted even though the defendant was not arraigned within six hours of his arrest. While Duncan modified the requirements of Davenport with respect to the action which must be taken by police within six hours, all other .requirements of that case remain in force. This court concludes, therefore, that the Davenport-Duncan rule requires that, absent exigent circumstances, [564]*564either defendant’s statement must be taken within six hours of his arrest or he must be arraigned within six hours of his arrest.

An arraignment may not be delayed solely for the purpose of obtaining a statement. Such a delay continues to be unnecessary within the meaning of Davenport. Although the evidence here shows that the police waited for defendant’s mother in the good-faith belief that an interested adult should be present when they questioned him, it also shows that they delayed taking defendant to his arraignment with the express purpose of obtaining a statement.

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Related

Fare v. Michael C.
442 U.S. 707 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Commonwealth v. Cherry
321 A.2d 611 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
Commonwealth v. Chacko
459 A.2d 311 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
Commonwealth v. Hughes
555 A.2d 1264 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Commonwealth v. Duncan
525 A.2d 1177 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
Commonwealth v. Davenport
370 A.2d 301 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1977)
Commonwealth v. McFadden
559 A.2d 58 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Commonwealth v. Williams
319 A.2d 419 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
Commonwealth v. Barry
454 A.2d 985 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
Commonwealth v. Jenkins
454 A.2d 1004 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
Commonwealth v. Johnson
532 A.2d 796 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
Commonwealth v. Futch
290 A.2d 417 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
10 Pa. D. & C.4th 560, 1991 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 317, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-vaughn-pactcomplphilad-1991.