People v. Diercks

411 N.E.2d 97, 88 Ill. App. 3d 1073, 44 Ill. Dec. 191, 1980 Ill. App. LEXIS 3693
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 24, 1980
Docket79-330
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 411 N.E.2d 97 (People v. Diercks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Diercks, 411 N.E.2d 97, 88 Ill. App. 3d 1073, 44 Ill. Dec. 191, 1980 Ill. App. LEXIS 3693 (Ill. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE KARNS

delivered the opinion of the court:

The defendant, Richard Allen Diercks, was charged with burglarizing the First Baptist Church of Sparta. Diercks was convicted for burglary in 1978 and was placed on probation. A petition to revoke defendant’s probation was filed on April 20, 1979. After a hearing in the Circuit Court of Randolph County, defendant was found to have violated the terms of his probation and was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections.

On appeal, Diercks argues that his conviction should be reversed because of two errors committed by the trial court. First, he contends that the trial judge erred in refusing to suppress allegedly involuntary statements admitting his guilt made to the police. Second, defendant maintains that privileged statements made to a clergyman were erroneously admitted as evidence.

On March 30, 1979, the First Baptist Church of Sparta was broken into and two unauthorized long distance calls were made by the intruder. On April 19, 1979, the defendant was arrested for the burglary of the church. The defendant was taken to the Sparta Police Department where he was read a Miranda warning. The record contains no detail as to the substance of the warning. Immediately afterwards the defendant acknowledged being given the warning but did not make any statement at that time.

Subsequently, the defendant was taken to the Randolph County jail. At the jail, the following morning, Deputy Sheriff Malott attempted to give Diercks a second Miranda warning but was cut short by the defendant. Diercks explained that he had been previously warned by the Sparta police and that he understood his rights. Malott proceeded to question Diercks about the burglary. During the course of the questioning Malott told Diercks that anything the defendant said * * was between he and I.” While the questioning was going on Diercks made several incriminating statements. Those statements were admitted at the revocation proceeding over the defendant’s pretrial motion to suppress, which was denied.

In addition to speaking with Deputy Sheriff Malott, Diercks spoke with Reverend John Welch in the Randolph County jail. Reverend Welch was the minister of the First Baptist Church of Sparta and testified as to the details of the break-in. The Reverend was also allowed to testify as to conversations with the defendant in which Diercks admitted his culpability. During two of Reverend Welch’s talks with the defendant, Ronnie Johnson, defendant’s employer and landlord, accompanied the Reverend.

The defendant claims that admission of the statements made to Deputy Sheriff Malott and to Reverend Welch is reversible error. As to the former statement, it is argued that the statement was involuntary because of several factors including a promise of leniency or benefit, the absence of counsel during questioning, the duration of the detention prior to interrogation, and the failure to show a knowing waiver of constitutional rights.

Under Illinois law the finding by the trial court that a statement was voluntary will not be disturbed unless contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence. (People v. Pickerel (1975), 32 Ill. App. 3d 822, 336 N.E.2d 778.) It is the State’s burden to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the confession was voluntarily given. People v. Genus (1979), 74 Ill. App. 3d 1002, 393 N.E.2d 1162.

The test to determine if a confession is voluntary was reiterated recently by this court. In the case of In re J. A. G. (1979), 75 Ill. App. 3d 177, 181, 393 N.E.2d 1207, 1210, we said, “A determination whether a confession is voluntary depends not on any one factor, but upon the totality of the circumstances surrounding the giving of the statement.” Therefore, we must look at the above factors cited by the defendant collectively to see whether the contested statement was made freely and voluntarily or whether the defendant’s will was overcome at the time he confessed. (In re J. A. G. (1979), 75 Ill. App. 3d 177, 181, 393 N.E.2d 1207, 1211.) Only after that determination is reached can a ruling as to the statement’s admissibility be made.

The primary argument made by the defendant is that Deputy Sheriff Malott improperly promised Diercks a benefit, confidentiality, in order to induce the defendant’s confession. The defendant relies upon our decision in People v. Bell (1977), 50 Ill. App. 3d 82, 365 N.E.2d 203, for the proposition that statements induced by fifth amendment violations are inadmissible at probation revocations. The Bell case is not on point. It held that all material witnesses to an allegedly involuntary confession must be produced at a probation revocation. There is no allegation of absent material witnesses in the instant case. The only contention here is the likelihood that the promise of confidentiality induced an involuntary confession.

Viewing the record as a whole we do not think the trial court’s judgment finding the defendant’s statement voluntary was against the manifest weight of the evidence. One factor to be considered is the character of the accused. The record does not disclose any disabling characteristics which would make Diercks susceptible to coercion. Another consideration is that the defendant has had prior contact with the authorities; the court took judicial notice of the prior appearances of the defendant in other cases, at least one of which included a written explanation of the Miranda warnings and a signed waiver. Also important is the fact that the defendant requested that he not be given his rights again by Malott, indicating he had previously been warned by the Sparta police and that he understood his rights. All of these factors point to one conclusion. Malott’s promise of confidentiality did not operate to deprive Diercks of his free will and Diercks’ statement was voluntary under the totality of the circumstances.

The defendant argues that other facts operated to make his confession to Malott involuntary, including incarceration for a period of 24 hours and the absence of counsel. There is no contention on appeal that the defendant’s arrest was improper. Also, there is no contention that the defendant requested a lawyer but his request was improperly refused. Without more these are merely facts to consider in the totality of circumstances. The defendant’s previous appearances with counsel along with prior Miranda warnings were sufficient to prevent Diercks from being compelled to give an involuntary statement.

The final contention made by Diercks is that there was no showing made as to the specific warnings given to him, therefore, the State did not prove a knowing and intelligent waiver of the defendant’s rights. The defendant relies on People v. Morgan (1977), 69 Ill. 2d 200, 370 N.E.2d 1063. However, an important difference distinguishes this case from Morgan. Morgan involved a criminal trial and not a probation revocation.

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Bluebook (online)
411 N.E.2d 97, 88 Ill. App. 3d 1073, 44 Ill. Dec. 191, 1980 Ill. App. LEXIS 3693, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-diercks-illappct-1980.