People v. Whisenant

175 N.W.2d 560, 21 Mich. App. 518
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 23, 1970
DocketDocket 6,239
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 175 N.W.2d 560 (People v. Whisenant) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Whisenant, 175 N.W.2d 560, 21 Mich. App. 518 (Mich. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinions

On Rehearing

Holbrook, J.

This case is now before us for the third time; the first time, it was reported in 11 Mich App 432; the second time, in 19 Mich App 182 and, now, by reason of our order of October 14, 1969 granting a rehearing, it is considered in this opinion. The facts in the case are set forth in the two decisions of this Court set forth above. We supplement the facts previously stated to include the following: The armed robbery alleged to have been committed by defendant occurred on December 21, 1965; on February 2, 1966 the police investigation led them to a suspect, the defendant herein; a complaint and Warrant charging defendant with the crime was [520]*520issued on February 3, 1966. On February 18, 1966 the defendant was arraigned in circuit court having previously waived preliminary examination. At the arraignment by request of defendant the court appointed counsel for him and the matter was remanded for preliminary examination. As a result of the preliminary examination defendant was bound over to circuit court where he was again arraigned on May 6, 1966. Trial was held the 27th day of June and he was convicted. In this Court’s first two opinions, we felt bound by Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 US 436 (86 S Ct 1602, 16 L Ed 2d 694, 10 ALR3d 974) as construed in the case of Johnson v. New Jersey (1966), 384 US 719 (86 S Ct 1772, 16 L Ed 2d 882), and interpreted by our Supreme Court in the ease of People v. Fordyce (1966), 378 Mich 208, 211, 212 wherein the Court stated:

“On June 20, 1966, the Supremo Court of the United States in the case of Johnson v. Neio Jersey (1966), 384 US 719 (86 S Ct 1772, 16 L Ed 2d 882), held that the guidelines set forth in Miranda are available only to persons whose trials had not begun as of June 13, 1966. Fordyce was tried in circuit court for Ingham county by jury trial beginning April 20, 1964. On April 23, 1964, the jury returned a verdict of guilty.
“The Supreme Court of the United States stated in Johnson, supra (p 731) :
“ ‘Retroactive application of Escobedo and Miranda would seriously disrupt the administration of our criminal laws. It would require the retrial or release of numerous prisoners found guilty by trustworthy evidence in conformity with previously announced constitutional standards. Prior to Escobedo and Miranda, few States were under any enforced compulsion on account of local law to grant requests for the assistance of counsel or to advise accused persons of their privilege against self-incrimination.’” (Emphasis supplied.)

[521]*521On June 2, 1969 the United States Supreme Court decided the case of Jenkins v. Delaware (1969), 395 US 213 (89 S Ct 1677, 23 L Ed 2d 253), which reiterated the rule set down in Johnson, supra, that Miranda, supra, applied to defendants whose trials commenced after June 13, 1966. The following appears in the Jenhins opinion, p 259:

“Once the need is established for applying the principle prospectively, as the Supreme Court of New Jersey has pointed out, ‘there is a large measure of judicial discretion involved in deciding * * * the time from which the new principle is to be deemed controlling.’ State v. Vigliano (1967), 50 NJ 51, 65, 66 (232 A2d 129, 137). In our more recent decisions in this area, we have regarded as determinative the moment at which the discarded standards were first relied upon. See, e.g., Desist v. United States (1969), 394 US 244 (89 S Ct 1030, 22 L Ed 2d 248); Stovall v. Denno ([1967] 388 US 293 [87 S Ct 1967, 18 L Ed 2d 1199]). The point of reliance is critical, not because of any constitutional compulsion, but because it determines the impact that newly articulated constitutional principles will have upon convictions obtained pursuant to investigatory and prosecutorial practices not previously proscribed. See Johnson v. New Jersey, supra, at 733 (86 S Ct at 1781, 16 L Ed 2d at 892). See generally, Schaefer, The Control of ‘Sunbursts’: Techniques of Prospective Overruling, 42 NYUL Rev 631 (1967).”

It appears without question that the authorities at the time of the taking of the confession from the defendant Whisenant relied upon the rules applicable before the Miranda decision for it occurred in February 1966, whereas the Miranda decision was decided in June of 1966.

Notwithstanding the fact that there is a large measure of judicial discretion involved in deciding [522]*522the time from which a new principle of law is to be deemed controlling we concluded that at the time of our most recent decision

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Related

Logan v. Auger
428 F. Supp. 396 (S.D. Iowa, 1977)
People v. Gaines
220 N.W.2d 76 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1974)
People v. Whisenant
187 N.W.2d 229 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1971)
People v. Whisenant
175 N.W.2d 560 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1970)
People v. Hopper
175 N.W.2d 889 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
175 N.W.2d 560, 21 Mich. App. 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-whisenant-michctapp-1970.