Roberts v. State

599 N.E.2d 595, 1992 Ind. LEXIS 217, 1992 WL 235329
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 25, 1992
Docket49S00-9009-CR-613
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 599 N.E.2d 595 (Roberts v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roberts v. State, 599 N.E.2d 595, 1992 Ind. LEXIS 217, 1992 WL 235329 (Ind. 1992).

Opinion

GIVAN, Justice.

In a bench trial, appellant was convicted of Count I, Murder and Count II, Criminal Confinement, a Class C Felony. Appellant was sentenced to sixty (60) years for Count I, ten years of which were suspended, and twenty (20) years for Count II, to be served concurrently with the term for Count I.

The facts are: On February 16, 1988, police officers were called to appellant's mother's house where appellant lived. They found the body of Elizabeth Cleary in appellant's bedroom. - Detective Minor talked to appellant at police headquarters later that day. In appellant's statement to the police, he indicated that the victim had arrived at his mother's house at approximately 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 18. He stated that he suspected that the victim, whom he had been dating, had been dancing strip tease. Appellant stated he beat her, splitting her lip.

Appellant further stated that later in the morning he could tell that he had hit her in the head and face. He claimed that the victim slept all day Saturday. The victim was still in bed in appellant's room when he went to sleep at approximately 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Appellant noticed bruises developing on the victim's body Sunday evening.

Appellant stated that he and the victim went to sleep at approximately 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. Monday morning. Appellant awoke at 1:00 p.m. Monday afternoon at which time he stated he fed the victim and gave her half a glass of whiskey. After drinking the rest of the whiskey, he claims he blacked out. On Tuesday morning, appellant noticed that the victim was still and that her body temperature was cool. At that time, appellant called for an ambulance. The cause of death of Elizabeth Cleary was multiple blunt force injuries.

Appellant claims the trial court erred when it admitted appellant's videotaped statement to the police. Appellant moved to suppress all statements made to police both before and after he was given the Mirando warnings. The trial court granted the motion to suppress in part by ruling that all statements made prior to the Miranda advisement were inadmissible; however, subsequent statements made by appellant were admissible. Appellant contends that this was error because he was illegally arrested; therefore, all statements made by him as a result of this detention should have been suppressed.

In reviewing a trial court's ruling on a motion to suppress, we will not reweigh the evidence, but will look to the evidence most favorable to the ruling and any uncontradicted adverse evidence. Bruce v. State (1978), 268 Ind. 180, 875 N.E.2d 1042, cert. denied, 439 U.S. 988, 99 S.Ct. 586, 58 L.Ed.2d 662.

Detective Minor testified that while on duty he received a call to appellant's address on a report that a woman had been beaten. - Officers who arrived there secured the crime scene and while that was being accomplished requested that appellant stay in the living room. Later, appellant, who was not handcuffed, was placed in the back seat of an unmarked vehicle and was transported to the police station. Appellant was left alone in an interrogation room for approximately 45 minutes. Officers periodically stopped in to check on appellant and to offer him coffee.

Appellant was interviewed by Detective Minor regarding the victim's identity and was questioned regarding what happened. Detective Minor testified that when it became apparent during the interview that appellant was a suspect Detective Minor stopped the interview, Mirandized appellant, and appellant signed a Miranda rights waiver form. Appellant then made an inculpatory statement to the police which was videotaped.

*598 Appellant claims that he was illegally arrested at his mother's house, therefore, all statements made to the police after that should have been suppressed. He supports this argument by citing Detective Minor's testimony that appellant was not under arrest until he was Mirandized, and that probable cause to arrest appellant did not exist until that time. Appellant correctly cites Armstrong v. State (1982), Ind., 429 N.E.2d 647, for the proposition that an accused is under arrest when officers interrupt his freedom and restrict his liberty of movement. Appellant also correctly cites J.K.G. v. C.J.E. (1977), 172 Ind.App. 515, 360 N.E.2d 1030, for the proposition that the federal and state constitutional prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures not only applies to searches and seizures of property, but also to physical apprehension of persons.

We have held that probable cause for an arrest may exist even though a police officer's subjective evaluation of a situation leads him to the conclusion that he did not possess enough information to establish probable cause at a particular time. Taylor v. State (1980), 273 Ind. 558, 406 N.E.2d 247. The evidence required to establish guilt is not necessary for probable cause for an arrest to exist. Capps v. State (1967), 248 Ind. 472, 229 N.E.2d 794. Probable cause to arrest without a warrant exists if the facts and circumstances known to the officer would warrant a man of reasonable caution to believe that the accused has committed the criminal act in question. Gee v. State (1984), Ind., 471 N.E.2d 1115.

The trial court, in ruling on the motion to suppress, found that the testimony showed that appellant believed he was in the custody of the police from the point he was transported to the police station. The record indicates that Detective Minor did possess enough information once he arrived at the crime seene to reasonably believe that appellant had caused the victim's death. Further, Detective Minor testified that after it became clear during the interview that appellant was a suspect appellant was Mirandized. There is no evidence in the record regarding any pre-Miranda questioning and none of the statements made during that time were offered by the State as evidence. Moreover, the trial court found that from the totality of the circumstances the videotaped statement was voluntarily made after appellant had been fully advised of his rights. We see no error in the trial court's ruling on the motion to suppress.

Appellant next argues that the trial court erred by refusing to grant his attorney's motion for a continuance and by denying her motion to withdraw from the case. Appellant claims he received ineffective assistance of counsel as a result of the trial court's decision to allow that attorney to remain in the case.

During the initial hearing, on February 18, 1988, the trial court appointed a public defender to represent appellant. On January 19, 1989, appellant made a pro se request for a change of public defender. However, before the court ruled on that request, appellant made an arrangement to obtain representation by private counsel, who entered her appearance on January 24, 1989. On June 28, 1989, appellant's private counsel filed a motion for leave to withdraw her appearance, and on June 28, 1989, appellant obtained representation by another privately retained attorney.

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Bluebook (online)
599 N.E.2d 595, 1992 Ind. LEXIS 217, 1992 WL 235329, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roberts-v-state-ind-1992.