in the Matter of H v.

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 17, 2005
Docket02-04-00029-CV
StatusPublished

This text of in the Matter of H v. (in the Matter of H v.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
in the Matter of H v., (Tex. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

                                                COURT OF APPEALS

                                                 SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS

                                                                 FORT WORTH

                                        NO. 2-04-029-CV

IN THE MATTER OF H.V.

                                              ------------

           FROM THE 323RD DISTRICT COURT OF TARRANT COUNTY

                                OPINION ON REHEARING


Following the issuance of our original opinion, the State filed a motion for rehearing arguing that we erred in our analysis of the State=s second issue by drawing a distinction between a custodial statement made voluntarily in the accidental absence of Miranda warnings (an accidentally unwarned statement) and a custodial statement made after a suspect had invoked his right to counsel and questioning nonetheless continued (a post failure-to-honor-a-request-for-counsel statement).  Because we hold that, in determining the applicability of the fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine, a distinction does exist between these two types of statements, we deny the State=s motion for rehearing.  We nonetheless withdraw our prior opinion and judgment and substitute this one to address the issues raised in the State=s motion, to clarify the standard of review we applied in addressing the State=s first issue, and to clarify certain facts.

I.  Introduction


This is an interlocutory appeal by the State from the juvenile court=s order granting a motion to suppress a confession and a gun obtained as a result of that confession.[1]  In three points, the State contends that (1) Appellee H.V.=s second written statement should not have been suppressed because H.V. did not make an unequivocal request for counsel, (2) there was no justification for suppression of the firearm as alleged Afruit@ of H.V.=s second written statement, and (3) section 52.02 of the Texas Family Code did not provide a basis to suppress either H.V.=s second written statement or the fruit of that statement.  We will affirm.

II.  Factual and Procedural Background

On September 10, 2003, police began investigating the death of Daniel Oltmanns, a North Crowley High School student, whose body was found at a construction site.  Daniel=s wounds revealed that he had been shot in the head with a small caliber gun.

The next day, police and school administrators began interviewing students at North Crowley High School about the incident.  A student at another high school notified the police that H.V. had purchased a gun a few days before the victim was shot.[2]  On September 12, 2003, an officer questioned H.V. at the high school, and H.V. stated that he thought that Daniel might have owed somebody money for drugs and that this debt may have caused his death.


Detective Cheryl Johnson said that she wanted to take H.V. from school to the Youth Division and question him, and he agreed to go.  Upon arrival, Municipal Judge Alicia Johnson read H.V. the Miranda[3] warnings.  Judge Johnson completed a AWarning to Child Offender@ form which listed the Miranda warnings, and she and H.V. both signed it.  H.V.=s only concern was that his parents did not know where he was, so Detective Johnson made an effort to contact H.V.=s parents.  Detective Johnson then interrogated H.V. regarding the gun.  H.V. executed a written statementChis first written statement, which was not suppressedCadmitting that he had purchased a gun but stating that he had returned it to the seller before Daniel=s body was found.  Detective Johnson did not believe H.V. and suspected that the gun was at H.V.=s house.  After H.V. and Judge Johnson signed H.V.=s completed statement, Detective Johnson took H.V. back to North Crowley High School and then drove to H.V.=s house, where she had requested that Officer Petrovic meet her.[4]


By the time the police arrived at H.V.=s house, H.V. was home from school, and H.V.=s father was home also.[5]  Police asked for consent to search the home.  Officer Petrovic translated for Detective Johnson as she introduced herself to H.V.=s father, explained that she was investigating the murder of Daniel Oltmanns, stated that officers had spoken with H.V.

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