In re Jimmy T.

99 Misc. 2d 623, 416 N.Y.S.2d 976, 1979 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2288
CourtNew York Family Court
DecidedMay 7, 1979
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 99 Misc. 2d 623 (In re Jimmy T.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Family Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Jimmy T., 99 Misc. 2d 623, 416 N.Y.S.2d 976, 1979 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2288 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1979).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Leon Deutsch, J.

The juvenile delinquency petition before this court alleges that the respondent, Jimmy T., approximately one month prior to his 16th birthday, committed an act which, if done by an adult, would constitute the crime of manslaughter in the second degree.

The respondent, alleging to be aggrieved by improper inter[624]*624rogation, moved for an order suppressing a statement made by him on the ground that such statement was not lawfully made and that he did not voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently waive his constitutional and Miranda rights. A Huntley hearing was held and concluded, to determine whether the petitioner met his burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, as required, and that the statement and alleged waiver of rights were voluntarily and lawfully made.

To set the stage for our discussion and determination, a brief general outline of the proof leading to the statement of the respondent, offered into evidence by the petitioner, will be helpful. (We will, in due course, flesh out the proof more fully in our discussion of facts and law, and make specific findings. All findings of fact herein are beyond a reasonable doubt.)

The respondent was arrested at his home one morning by two officers of the New York City Housing Police. This arrest was for an unrelated robbery charge, not the subject of this petition, and occurred a little over one month past his 16th birthday. He was taken to the housing police precinct, and given Miranda warnings. It appears that after being questioned on the robbery for which he was arrested, there was some questioning about other crimes in the area including the homicide charge which is the subject of the petition before the court. No statement of any kind was taken with respect to the homicide. Later that morning, the respondent was taken to the 84th Precinct (New York City Police Department) for booking on the robbery charge. At the 84th Precinct, a statement was taken from the respondent with respect to the instant manslaughter charge, after Miranda rights were given to him and responsive waivers received. It is this statement, which the petitioner seeks to offer into evidence, and which the respondent seeks to suppress.

The issue is whether a statement with respect to a crime charged in a juvenile delinquency petition pursuant to article 7 of the Family Court Act, may be taken from a minor person, 16 years of age, who was under 16 years of age at the time the alleged act was committed, and who does not have a parent present to receive the Miranda rights together with the minor. (The respondent argues that the implied requirements of section 724 of the Family Court Act were violated by the taking of a statement from him in the absence of a parent.)

It should be said at once, and I so hold, that there is nothing in section 724 of the Family Court Act which requires [625]*625one over the age of 16 when questioned about an act constituting a crime committed when under the age of 16, to have a parent present. Section 724 of the Family Court Act is cross referenced to sections 722 and 723 of the Family Court Act. Section 723 of the Family Court Act is cross referenced to section 722 of the Family Court Act. All these sections refer to and are applicable to persons under the age of 16 who are taken into custody. Recently, Judge Miller of this court, in Matter of Hector C. (95 Misc 2d 255, 257) noted that section 724 of the Family Court Act is applicable to persons under the age of 16 who are taken into custody. In that case, she held that a 15-year-old juvenile had been properly interrogated, despite the fact that the requirements of section 724 of the Family Court Act had not been complied with due to the juvenile’s own misrepresentation as to his age. The Court of Appeals, in People v Stephen J. B. (23 NY2d 611, 616), although reversed by the United States District Court on other grounds which I shall hereinafter discuss, correctly observed in a footnote: "Section 724 of the Family Court Act requires that the parents of a child under 16 years be advised of his arrest, but by its express terms does not apply to defendant who was over 16 years of age at the time of his arrest.”

The statutory language of section 724 of the Family Court Act is straightforward. It applies only to persons less than 16 years of age who are taken into custody. To read it any other way would be an infringement upon the power of the Legislature to make law.

It is clear, then, that the respondent was a minor person over the age of 16 at the time of custodial interrogation. We will, therefore, look to the applicable case law, indeed, the same case law offered up by the respondent. Before we do, and in order to assit in the determination of the issue, some review of the circumstances surrounding the absence or presence of the mother is in order.

It appears that the police officer suspected the respondent of this homicide prior to his 16th birthdate. The police officer, in August or September of 1978, advised the mother of his suspicions and invited her down with the respondent to discuss the matter. This is not controverted by the mother, who testified at the hearing.

On the morning of October 11, 1978, the police officer went to respondent’s residence, and in the presence of the mother, who admitted the officer to the apartment, arrested the re[626]*626spondent on a robbery charge not before this court. The respondent was taken to the office of the Housing Police Department where Miranda rights were read to him and certain questions were put to him. The mother testified that she left her house some 20 minutes later and went to the Housing Police Precinct, a short distance from her residence. The police officer testified that the mother was present while he questioned the respondent at the Housing Precinct for at least part of the questioning, although he concedes that she arrived after he had begun the questioning. The mother claims that she was at the Housing Precinct, but did not see the respondent until after the questioning. The police officer testified that there were some questions put to the respondent relative to the Gales homicide at the Housing Precinct. After he had completed his questioning of the respondent on the robbery, he "kept going” in his interrogation. There was no separate set of Miranda rights given at the Housing Precinct for the specific purpose of the Gales homicide. He had, however, given him his Miranda rights prior to the interrogation on the robbery for which he had been arrested.

It is clear that the mother was not present at the commencement of the interrogation, nor at the giving of the Miranda rights to the respondent. It is equally clear from her own testimony that she enjoyed unrestricted access to him at the Housing Precinct after the interrogation. It is also clear, again from her testimony, that she found him essentially not crying, not distraught, not fearful, not maltreated. She also acknowledged that he was not compelled to make any statement.

Respondent, by way of counsel’s argument, contends that the police intentionally excluded the mother from the room where the interrogation was taking place at the Housing Police Precinct in order to deprive the respondent of his mother’s assistance. There is no competent proof that this is so. The mother testified that some other police officer told her that she could not go into the interrogation room.

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

Related

Matter of Manuel B.
2004 NY Slip Op 24292 (Queens Family Court, 2004)
In re Manuel B.
4 Misc. 3d 722 (NYC Family Court, 2004)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
99 Misc. 2d 623, 416 N.Y.S.2d 976, 1979 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-jimmy-t-nyfamct-1979.