Scott v. State

555 So. 2d 763, 1988 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 630, 1988 WL 127141
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedSeptember 20, 1988
Docket6 Div. 670
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 555 So. 2d 763 (Scott v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott v. State, 555 So. 2d 763, 1988 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 630, 1988 WL 127141 (Ala. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

BOWEN, Presiding Judge.

This is an appeal from the order of the Juvenile Court of Cullman County transferring nineteen-year-old Gary Ray Scott to the circuit court for prosecution as an adult on a criminal offense involving the capital murder of Gene Alan Thompson.

Scott was originally charged in Blount County. In Scott v. State, 501 So.2d 1273 (Ala.Cr.App.1986), this Court affirmed the order of the Blount County Juvenile Court transferring the juvenile to the circuit court for prosecution as an adult. In February of 1988, an identical charge was brought against Scott in Cullman County. On March 10, 1988, the indictment in Blount County was nol-prossed and a hearing was held on the State’s motion to transfer Scott to the Circuit Court of Cullman County for prosecution as an ádult. The Juvenile Court of Cullman County certified Scott as an adult and transferred his case to the circuit court. This appeal is from that order of transfer.

Scott argues that the juvenile court erred in admitting into evidence a confession which was allegedly “tainted” by a prior illegally obtained confession. In Scott, 501 So.2d at 1274-75, this Court found that Scott voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently waived his constitutional rights and held that there was no error in the admission of his confession into evidence. Scott now argues that the existence of a prior illegal confession was not raised on that appeal.

In Scott, supra, this Court upheld the voluntariness of the sixteen page confession Scott gave beginning at 9:35 on the evening of April 7, 1986, to deputies of the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office in the Blount County Courthouse. At the Cull-man County transfer hearing, former Cull-man County Deputy Sheriff Ed Lee testified that Scott had given a statement to Sergeant Mark Sharp of the Fultondale Police Department on the afternoon of April 7th, and that Sharp had not advised Scott of his “juvenile Miranda rights.” Deputy Lee testified that he was not present at any time Scott was present at the Fultondale Police Department. Sergeant Johnny Nesmith of the Alabama Bureau of Investigation testified that he listened to a tape recording of Scott’s statement to Officer Sharp and, “according to the tape,” Sharp did not advise Scott of his “juvenile Miranda rights.”

From the record before this Court, it appears that there may be merit to Scott’s argument and that his statement to Officer Sharp was taken in violation of Rule 11(A)(4), A.R.J.P., and Ex parte Whisenant, 466 So.2d 1006, 1007 (Ala.1985), in that Scott was not informed of his right to communicate with his counsel, parent, or guardian. However, the record does not [765]*765contain sufficient information for this Court to make that conclusion as a matter of law.

This is a capital case involving a juvenile. “Because all extra-judicial confessions are prima facie involuntary, the State has the burden of proving voluntariness. Ex parte Callahan [471 So.2d 463, 464 (Ala.1985)]; Magwood v. State [494 So.2d 124, 135 (Ala.Cr.App.1985), affirmed, 494 So.2d 154 (Ala.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 995, 107 S.Ct. 599, 93 L.Ed.2d 599 (1986)].” Ex parte Weeks, 531 So.2d 643 (Ala.1987). For these reasons, we deem it advisable, and it is hereby ordered, that this cause be remanded to the Juvenile Court of Cullman County with directions that that court hold an evidentiary hearing on the circumstances surrounding Scott’s statement to Fulton-dale Police Officer Sharp. If the court finds that Scott was not properly and thoroughly advised of all his rights under Rule 11(A), A.R.J.P., or that his first statement was involuntary for any reason, the court shall then determine whether or not Scott’s second statement was tainted. See Oregon v. Elstad, 470 U.S. 298, 105 S.Ct. 1285, 84 L.Ed.2d 222 (1985); Ex parte Callahan, 471 So.2d 463 (Ala.1985). The juvenile court shall prepare written findings of fact and conclusions of law, which shall be returned to this Court along with a transcript of the evidentiary hearing. The necessity for this action is recognized by the Attorney General. Appellee’s brief, p. 19.

REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.

All Judges concur.

ON RETURN TO REMAND

BOWEN, Judge.

On remand, the Juvenile Court judge of Cullman County held an evidentia-ry hearing and issued a written order in complete and commendable compliance with our opinion on original submission. His written order is supported by the record; it is attached hereto as an appendix.

Based upon that order, the judgment of the Juvenile Court transferring Scott to the circuit court for criminal prosecution as an adult is affirmed.

OPINION EXTENDED; AFFIRMED.

APPENDIX

In the District Court of

Cullman County, Alabama

Case No. JU 88-101

State of Alabama, Plaintiff, v. Gary Ray Scott, Defendant.

ORDER

On February 21, 1989, a hearing was held before the Court, at the direction of the Court of Criminal Appeals, pertaining to the admissibility under Rule 11(A), A.R. J.P., of a statement given by the defendant on April 7, 1986, to Officer Sharp of the Fultondale Police Department and, if that statement is involuntary, whether this affects the admissibility of a statement given by the defendant later that night to Sergeant Nesmith of the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and Deputy Ed Lee of the Cullman County Sheriff’s Department. Based on the testimony at that hearing and the observations at that hearing of the demeanor of the persons present, the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

The Court holds that the statement given to Officer Sharp was voluntary and non-compelled. Prior to making the statement the Defendant had revealed to Patsy Carra-dine, the sister of the wife of the Defendant’s stepfather, that he had killed a person in Blount County in what he described as self-defense. Mrs. Carradine advised the defendant that he should tell this to the Fultondale Police Department, and the defendant accepted this advise. While the defendant was somewhat below average in intelligence, he was not mentally retarded. Furthermore, he had had previous involvement with law enforcement officials, having been placed on juvenile probation in September 1985 stemming from a charge of first degree theft of property. The [766]*766Court finds that the defendant was not coerced or induced to follow Mrs. Carra-dine’s advice, and that he freely accepted this advice and voluntarily went to the Ful-tondale Police Department with her.

At the police station the defendant and Mrs. Carradine walked up to Officer Sharp, and the defendant said to Sharp that he wanted to talk to a police officer about a murder in Blount County. Sharp replied that he was a police officer and if they would come back into his office he would talk to them. The three entered Sharp's office. The defendant then said to Sharp that he wanted to confess to a murder he committed in Blount County. Sharp said not to make any more statements until he could advise him of his rights and turn on a tape recorder. The defendant replied “Turn the motherfucker on.” After the defendant was advised of his adult miranda rights and the tape recorder was turned on, the defendant made a statement.

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Bluebook (online)
555 So. 2d 763, 1988 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 630, 1988 WL 127141, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-v-state-alacrimapp-1988.