Murray v. State

864 S.W.2d 111, 1993 Tex. App. LEXIS 2577, 1993 WL 360976
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided September 21, 1993·No. 06-93-00003-CR·Published·Cited by 41 cases

Opinion

OPINION

CORNELIUS, Chief Justice.

Willie Murray was convicted of possession of less than twenty-eight grams of cocaine. He appeals, contending that the trial court erred in admitting in evidence his post-arrest oral statement, that the cocaine was obtained as a result of an illegal search, that the State failed to prove the chain of custody, and that the court should have quashed the indictment and should have required the State to disclose the identity of a confidential informant. We overrule these contentions and affirm the judgment.

The State’s evidence showed that on September 25, 1992, Officer Cory Murray, a member of the Bi-State Narcotics Task Force, received information from a confidential informant that appellant Murray was at that moment in possession of fifty- and hundred-dollar “rocks” of crack cocaine, and was at the Bowie Courts in his brown Mercedes.

Officer Murray and three other members of the task force immediately proceeded to the Bowie Courts in two unmarked ears. Officer Murray and Investigator White were in one car and Officers Eric Roberts and Eddie Smith were in the other. On the way, Officer Murray received a radio call from another member of the task force that the informant had just called a second time and had stated that the Mercedes was now parked on West Eleventh Street and that Murray was now inside or near Apartment 136.

Officer Murray relayed this information to Roberts and Smith, who had already found the Mercedes and set up surveillance. About five minutes later, Officer Murray saw appellant Murray leave Apartment 136, get into the Mercedes, and drive away. Roberts and Smith followed and by radio ordered a patrol car to stop him. Detective Bobby Mixon of *114 the Texarkana police department responded, stopping Murray at approximately 3:00 p.m. Two other detectives with the Texarkana police department, Curtis Cole and Jim Stuck-ey, were following Mixon and also stopped. Mixon asked for Murray’s driver’s license in order to identify him. Murray was not formally arrested or otherwise questioned by the three detectives. Roberts and Smith arrived about a minute later.

Roberts told Murray that they had information that he had drugs in his car. Murray replied that he did not, but that Roberts could look if he wanted to. Roberts and Smith then - searched the car. Murray was not frisked or searched, formally placed under arrest, or given Miranda 1 warnings at this time. Roberts found what appeared to be crack cocaine hidden in a Diet Coke can which he testified appeared to be empty but which “didn’t feel right.” Murray was then formally arrested and transported to the Bi-State Justice Building where he was given his Miranda warnings.

The officers testified that Murray was not questioned before or after his formal arrest and Miranda warnings. The only communication between the officers and Murray relevant to this appeal was as follows. While Murray was in the interrogation room, Officer Smith walked into the room and said, “Happy birthday.” Murray then said, “Something told me I shouldn’t have worked on my birthday.” Murray argues that his statement to Smith was the product of custodial interrogation and did not meet the requirements of U.S. Const. amend. V or Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 38.22, § 3 (Vernon Supp.1993). He apparently contends that his statement is incriminating because the jury could have viewed it as an admission that he was selling cocaine (“working”).

' Article 38.22, § 3 requires strict electronic recording for oral statements made as a result of custodial interrogation. As the State correctly points out, however, Article 38.22, § 3 is qualified by Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. art. 38.22, § 5 (Vernon 1979), which states, “Nothing in this article precludes the admission of a ... statement that does not stem from custodial interrogation, or of a voluntary statement....”

Murray was in custody at the time the statement was made. He had been placed under formal arrest, read his Miranda warnings, and was being detained in an interview room on the third floor of the Bi-State Justice Building. The issue is, then, whether the statement was the product of interrogation.

Interrogation encompasses any word or action on the part of the officers that they should know is reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect. Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 301, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 1689-90, 64 L.Ed.2d 297 (1980). General and routine questions do not constitute interrogation. Jones v. State, 795 S.W.2d 171, 174 n. 3 (Tex.Crim.App.1990); McCambridge v. State, 712 S.W.2d 499, 505 (Tex.Crim.App.1986). Offhand remarks, not designed to elicit any kind of response, do not constitute interrogation. Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. at 303, 100 S.Ct. at 1690; Janecka v. State, 739 S.W.2d 813, 828-29 (Tex.Crim.App.1987).

In this case, Smith, while preparing the arrest report, noticed from the driver’s license that it was Murray’s birthday and said “Happy birthday” to him. “Happy birthday” is not a question, does not usually require a response, except possibly “Thank you,” and appears here to be nothing more than a harmless and insignificant remark. There is nothing in the record to indicate that it was likely to elicit an incriminating response.

The statement by Murray was therefore not the product of custodial interrogation. It was a voluntary statement and was not made in response to any inquiry made by Smith. Neither the Fifth Amendment nor Article 38.22, § 3 bars admission of this statement.

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Murray v. State, 864 S.W.2d 111, 1993 Tex. App. LEXIS 2577, 1993 WL 360976 (Tex. Ct. App. 1993).

864 S.W.2d 111 (Murray v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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