State of Maine v. Alvarado

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedJanuary 15, 2015
DocketCUMcr-14-6647
StatusUnpublished

This text of State of Maine v. Alvarado (State of Maine v. Alvarado) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State of Maine v. Alvarado, (Me. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

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STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COVRf~t\ C.')Urts CUMBERLAND, ss CRIMINAL ACTION DOCKET NO. CR-14-6647 NDM--CMm~ 01-(5-15

STATE OF MAINE ZOlS JRN 21 PA 12 59 v. ORDER ON DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS CLEMENTE ALVARADO,

Defendant

Heating on defendant's motion to suppress was held January 13, 2015.

Defendant argues his due process rights were violated and his statements were not

voluntary. For the following reasons, the motion is denied.

FACTS

Brunswick Police Department Detective Kenneth Bailey has served as School

Resource Officer for Brunswick High School for ten years. On 5/14/14, Amanda Faith

appeared at Detective Bailey's office with a friend and asked to speak to him.

During his investigation of the allegations, Detective Bailey took notes when

speaking to people and maintained an ongoing report on his computer. Detective

Bailey was unable to contact defendant for more than one month because defendant

was out of the state for work. Detective Bailey finally contacted defendant by phone

and said allegations had been made that should be discussed. Defendant agreed to go

to the police station to speak to Detective Bailey.

On July 1, 2014, a few days after the phone conversation, defendant arrived alone

at the police station just before 5:00p.m. Detective Bailey and defendant spoke in the

main lobby. Detective Bailey was in plain clothes. He did not recall whether he had a

weapon. He asked if defendant wanted to go to an interview room and defendant replied, "sure." They went to the interview room, which measures a few feet wide by a

few feet long. When Detective Bailey closed the door, he told defendant the door was

closed only for privacy and defendant was free to leave. The two sat approximately

three feet from each other. Although the Brunswick Police Department has the capacity

to record interviews, this interview was not recorded.

Detective Bailey told defendant Amanda had made allegations regarding

inappropriate conduct at a bowling alley, and the Detective wanted to talk about the

allegations. ·Detective Bailey read the Miranda warnings from the Brunswick Police

Department sheet. (State's Ex. A.) Defendant understood his rights and Detective

Bailey checked the boxes on the sheet, indicating defendant replied "yes" when asked if

he understood each paragraph. Defendant agreed to speak to Detective Bailey and

signed the sheet, as did Detective Bailey.

The conversation lasted ten to fifteen minutes. Detective Bailey asked what

happened. He then asked if defendant would prepare a written statement. The

Detective stated the statement did not have to be written at that time and defendant

could take the fonn with him. ·Defendant said he would be in contact when the

statement was completed. When the statement was not returned, Detective Bailey

called defendant. Defendant said he did not have time but he would complete the

statement. Detective Bailey never received the written statement.

Detective Bailey called defendant again and asked him to go to the police station.

At the station, Detective Bailey said he had enough information and summonsed

defendant.

Throughout the entirety of his dealings with defendant, Detective Bailey

believed defendant understood what the Detective was saying. Defendant's demeanor

was "perfectly fine" and he showed no adverse emotions. There was no indication

2 defendant did not want to speak or felt pressured to say anything. Defendant

understood his Miranda rights and agreed to waive them.

CONCLUSIONS

Voluntariness

Defendant argues his statements were not voluntary. In order to find a

statement voluntary, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the statement

resulted from the "defendant's exercise of his own free will and rational intellect." State

v. Caouette, 446 A.2d 1120, 1123-24 (Me. 1982). "A confession is voh.intary if it results

from the free choice of a rational mind, if it is not a product of coercive police conduct,

and if under all the circumstances its admission would be fundamentally fair." State v.

Mikulewicz, 462 A.2d 497, 501 (Me. 1983). The requirement that a statement must be

voluntary in order to be admissible "gives effect to three overlapping but conceptually

distinct values: (1) it discourages objectionable police practices; (2) it protects the

mental freedom of the individual; and (3) it preserves a quality of fundamental fairness

in the criminal justice system." Id. at 500.

Although the interview was not recorded, the testimony of Detective Bailey was

credible with regard to his interaction with defendant. There was no coercion.

Defendant understood what was happening and what was said, waived his Miranda

warnings, and chose how to proceed. On this record, based on the totality of the

circumstances, the State has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant's

statements were voluntary. See State v. Sawyer, 2001 ME 88, 9I 9, 772 A.2d 1173.

Due Process

Defendant also argues his right to due process was som_ehow violated but did

not articulate any basis for that argument. Defendant agreed his waiver of his Miranda

rights was valid. When a violation of the right to due process is argued, the procedures

3 used by the police are reviewed "to determine if the conduct 'offends the community's

sense of justice, decency, and fair play."' State v. Bavouset, 2001 .ME 141, <][ 7, 784 A.2d

27 (quoting Roberts v. State, 48 F.3d 1287, 1291 (1st Cir. 1995)). A determination of

whether state action violates a defendant's right to due process involves consideration

of "(1) the private interest that will be affected by the State's action; (2) the risk of an

erroneous deprivation of that private interest along with the probable utility of

substitute or added safeguards; and (3) the government's interest in adhering to the

existent procedure." State v. Cote, 1999 .ME 123, <][ 12, 736 A.2d 262. There is no

evidence in this case of any violation of defendant's right to due process.

The entry is

The Defendant's Motion to Suppress is DENIED.

Date: January 15, 2015 ancy Mills Justice, Superior Court

4 STATE OF MAINE CRIMINAL DOCKET vs CUMBERLAND, ss. CLEMENTE ALVARADO Docket No CUMCD-CR-2014-06647 35 DGE STREET TOP.:>rtAM ME 04086 DOCKET RECORD

DOB : 0 4 I 0 3 I 19 7 2 Attorney: LEONARD SHARON State's Attorney: MICHAEL MADIGAN LEONARD SHARON ESQ PC 223 MAIN STREET AUBURN ME 04210-5833 RETAINED 08/21/2014

Filing Document: CRIMINAL COMPLAINT Major Case Type: MISDEMEANOR (CLASS D,E) Filing Date: 09/25/2014

Charge(s)

1 UNLAWFUL SEXUAL TOUCHING 0511112014 BRUNSWICK Seq 9308 17-A 260(1) (A) Class D BAILEY \ I BRU 2 ASSAULT 0511112014 BRUNSWICK Seq 8382 17-A 207 (1) (A) Class D BAILEY \ I BRU

Docket Events:

10 '2014 Charge (s): 1, 2 TRANSFER - PERMANENT TRANSFER EDI ON 10/08/2014 at 04:34 p.m.

TRANSFERRED CASE: SENDING COURT CASEID WESDCCR201400469 FILING DOCUMENT - CRIMINAL COMPLAINT FILED ON 09/25/2014

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Related

Roberts v. State of Maine
48 F.3d 1287 (First Circuit, 1995)
State v. Sawyer
2001 ME 88 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2001)
State v. Cote
1999 ME 123 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1999)
State v. Caouette
446 A.2d 1120 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1982)
State v. Mikulewicz
462 A.2d 497 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1983)
State v. Bavouset
2001 ME 141 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2001)

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State of Maine v. Alvarado, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-maine-v-alvarado-mesuperct-2015.