In re Richard UU.

56 A.D.2d 973, 870 N.Y.S.2d 472
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedNovember 20, 2008
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 56 A.D.2d 973 (In re Richard UU.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Richard UU., 56 A.D.2d 973, 870 N.Y.S.2d 472 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

Peters, J.

Appeal from an order of the Family Court of Delaware County (Becker, J.), entered May 23, 2007, which granted petitioner’s application, in a proceeding pursuant to Family Ct Act article 3, to adjudicate respondent a juvenile delinquent.

Respondent (born in 1992) has been committed to the care and custody of the Delaware County Department of Social Services (hereinafter DSS) since August 2003. In January 2006, respondent’s foster mother allegedly observed him engaging in certain sexual contact with her four-year-old daughter. The following day, respondent’s DSS caseworker brought respondent to DSS for questioning by the police. After respondent and the caseworker were advised of respondent’s Miranda rights and agreed to waive those rights, respondent made incriminating statements.

A juvenile delinquency proceeding was then initiated. Respondent moved to suppress his statements on the grounds that he did not make a knowing and intelligent waiver of his Miranda rights and that the waiver was obtained in violation of his right to counsel. Following a hearing, Family Court denied the motion. A fact-finding hearing ensued, after which Family Court found respondent to have committed acts which, if committed by an adult, would constitute the crime of criminal sexual act in the first degree. Following a dispositional hearing, respondent was adjudicated a juvenile delinquent. This appeal ensued.

We reject respondent’s contention that the failure to contact the Law Guardian assigned to represent him in his permanency proceedings prior to questioning violated his right to counsel. It is now settled that an individual, “in custody on matters unrelated to the [matter] upon which he or she was assigned counsel in a prior separate proceeding, is competent to waive the right to counsel in the absence of counsel” (People v Kent, 240 AD2d 772, 773 [1997], lvs denied 90 NY2d 1012 [1997], 91 NY2d 875 [1997]; see People v Steward, 88 NY2d 496, 502 [1996]; People v Lawrence, 1 AD3d 625, 626 [2003], lv denied 1 NY3d 630 [2004]; see generally People v Bing, 76 NY2d 331 [1990]). As the permanency proceedings for which respondent had been assigned a Law Guardian are wholly unrelated to the juvenile delinquency [975]*975proceeding at issue here, he could validly waive his right to counsel in this matter outside the presence of that Law Guardian (see People v Kent, 240 AD2d at 773).

Respondent next contends that his statements must be suppressed because he did not make a knowing and intelligent waiver of his Miranda rights. While a juvenile may effectuate a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of his Miranda rights (see People v Stephen J.B., 23 NY2d 611, 616-617 [1969]), “special care above and beyond ordinary constitutional safeguards must be provided to insure that the rights of youthful suspects are adequately protected” (Matter of Robert P., 177 AD2d 857, 858 [1991]; see People v Charles M., 286 AD2d 942, 943 [2001]). The ultimate inquiry is whether the prosecuting entity proved that the statement was voluntary beyond a reasonable doubt through a consideration of the totality of the circumstances (see Matter of Paul QQ., 256 AD2d 751, 751-752 [1998]). “Relevant factors to be considered include respondent’s age, prior criminal experience, evidence of coercion by the police prior to obtaining the waiver and whether ‘the Miranda warnings were fully, clearly and adequately administered to the youth’ ” (Matter of Phillip J., 256 AD2d 654, 656 [1998], quoting People v Boykins, 81 AD2d 922, 923 [1981], lv denied 54 NY2d 761 [1981]; see Fare v Michael C., 442 US 707, 729 [1979]).

We disagree with respondent’s contention that DSS was “incapable as a matter of law of providing the guidance and support to respondent contemplated by [Family Ct Act § 305.2 (3) and (7)]” (Matter of James OO., 234 AD2d 822, 822 [1996], lv denied 89 NY2d 812 [1997]), thereby rendering his Miranda waiver involuntary. The applicable statutory provisions were fully complied with when the DSS caseworker, the person “legally responsible for [respondent’s] care” (Family Ct Act § 305.2 [3]), was notified and present for the administration of respondent’s Miranda warnings (see Family Ct Act § 305.2 [7]). Despite respondent’s assertions to the contrary, the fact that the DSS caseworker advised him to speak with the investigator does not, in and of itself, establish that she was not acting in respondent’s best interests (see Matter of Arthur O., 55 AD3d 1019, 1020 [2008]; Matter of James OO., 234 AD2d at 822-823). While the parent or legal guardian of a juvenile may invoke the right to counsel on the child’s behalf (see People v Mitchell, 2 NY3d 272, 276 [2004]), there is nothing that requires it, and we find no compelling evidence that DSS acted contrary to [976]*976respondent’s interests in permitting him to speak with the police.

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Bluebook (online)
56 A.D.2d 973, 870 N.Y.S.2d 472, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-richard-uu-nyappdiv-2008.