State of Maine v. Smith

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedJanuary 16, 2009
DocketCUMcr-08-1984
StatusUnpublished

This text of State of Maine v. Smith (State of Maine v. Smith) 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. Smith, (Me. Super. Ct. 2009).

Opinion

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v. ORDER ON DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS

SHERWOOD SMITH,

Defendant

This matter is before the Court on the defendant's motion to suppress statements

made by him during an interview with Westbrook Police Detective Sean Lally' because

his Miranda rights, so-called, were violated and because his statements were not

voluntary.

BACKGROUND

On or about December 27, 2007, Oscar Moore allegedly died of a drug overdose

at the defendant's apartment.

On January 3, 2008 at approximately 9:20 AM, Detective Lally went to 532 Main

Street in Westbrook where the defendant's apartment was located. Lally was

investigating Mr. Moore's death and wanted to speak with the defendant. The detective

was in plain clothes (i.e., jeans and a sweatshirt). He had a firearm, but cannot recall if it

was exposed or if it was concealed under his sweatshirt.

1Sean Lally was a detective at the time of the events that are the subject of this motion. He is currently a patrol sergeant with the Westbrook Police Department.

1 As Detective Lally entered the common area of the building, he encountered the

defendant who appeared to be leaving the premises. Lally displayed his police

identification and asked if the defendant would mind going to the police station to talk

about Moore's death. The defendant replied that he was on his way to catch a bus to go

to the "meth" clinic at Discovery House in South Portland. The detective said he was not

going to arrest the defendant and would give him a ride to the clinic after they finished

talking. The defendant agreed to go with the officer.

They rode to the station in Lally's unmarked vehicle. The defendant sat in the

front passenger seat. He was not handcuffed. The two men made "small talk" during the

ride. "Nothing important" was discussed.

At the police station, the defendant was taken to an interview room on the second

floor and left alone for a brief while. The room was approximately 8' by 10'. It had one

door, no window, and was furnished with a small square table in the center of the room,

four chairs, and a box of tissues and a phone book on a shelf along one wall. Three of the

chairs were placed at the table and the fourth was in a corner of the room. The defendant

sat on one side of the table in the chair closest to the door. The door to the room was

open.

The room was equipped for video and audio recording, but the defendant was not

told this. The equipment was activated while the defendant was in the room. A copy of

the video/audio recording of the interview was admitted without objection as State's

Motion Exhibit 1. The court's review of the video indicates that the camera was mounted

2 on the wall nearly opposite the side of the table where the defendant sat. 2 The camera's

view was static and continually captured the table, the chairs, and the occupants of the

room.

After a short while, Detective Lally entered the room, closed the door) and sat in

the chair on the side of the table to the left of the defendant. No one else was in the

room. According to the time-stamp on the video, it was 10:27 AM.

Lally testified that he knew the defendant took prescription Klonopin for anxiety

and methadone, which he obtained at the South Portland clinic. He also testified that,

during the interview, the defendant did not appear under the influence of alcohol or

drugs, and did not appear to be in the throes of withdrawal. That testimony is consistent

with the video/audio recording of the interview. See State's Exh. 1.

The detective began the interview by telling the defendant that he wanted to talk

about Oscar Moore's death. He also said that the defendant was free to leave at any time;

that he did not have to stay; that he did not have to talk to the detective; that he was not

under arrest; and that, "when we're done, I'm gonna take you to South Portland like you

asked to the methodone clinic. Are you OK with all of that?," and the defendant replied,

"Yes, sir."

Detective Lally and the defendant sat at the desk during the entire interview and

the detective occasionally wrote on a pad of paper. At all times, the officer's demeanor

was civil. Although his words were frequently blunt and accusatory, the tone of his voice

was always conversational and calm.

2 Neither the wall on which the camera was mounted, nor the door to the room can be seen on the video. 3 Detective Lally told the defendant, "I'm going to close the door for privacy, all right?" The defendant replied, "Yeah."

3 The detective said he wanted to find out what really happened the night Mr.

Moore died and that he did not believe the defendant's prior account to the police.

Approximately 20 minutes into the interview, Detective Lally said, "You know,

Sherwood, at some point you're going to have to provide the answers to these questions."

About four minutes later the detective asked, "What do you think should happen

to you?", and the defendant said, "Jail, I guess." Then the following exchange took

place:

DETECTIVE: You think you're going to jail?

DEFENDANT: Yeah.

DETECTIVE: Did I explain to you that you're not going to jail today?

DEFENDANT: You said that, yes.

DETECTIVE: Do you believe me?

DEFENDANT: Yeah. I mean I don't know what's gonna happen when it's all over ....

DETECTIVE: When it's all said and done you're gong to be held accountable, no doubt about it. But today I'm going to drive you over to South Portland like I told ya.

About four or five minutes later (approximately 30 minutes into the interview),

the defendant expressed his frustration with his sister's drug use and the fact that she and

others take his drugs.

DEFENDANT: My sister sits there and pukes her guts out day after day after day ... and I just ... she just takes them like candy and I just get so upset with her and I can't deal with it and I just told her ... I need my fucking meds, too. I just can't deal with it anymore. I'm just to the point I can't take it anymore. I just as soon put a bullet in my head as try ....

DETECTIVE: Well, do you have access to a gun?

4 DEFENDANT: No. I'm just talking out of frustration. I'm just scared of being sick and I don't want these people around.

Four minutes later, Detective Lally said, "Are you ready to go? All right. I'm

gonna ride you over there [the clinic]. Let's go." According to the time-stamp on the

video, the interview ended at 11 :04 AM, about 37 minutes after it began.

The parties have stipulated, and State's Exhibit 1 confirms, that the defendant was

never given the Miranda warnings.

The defendant's primary care physician, Dr. Debra Rothenberg, testified that the

defendant has been diagnosed with multiple ailments (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux

disease, joint diseases, chronic low back pain, osteomyelitis and drug addiction). She is

aware that he has also been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, ADHD and PTSD, but

she is not a psychiatrist and does not treat him for these particular maladies. Dr.

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Related

State v. Lear
1998 ME 273 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1998)
State v. Bragg
604 A.2d 439 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1992)
State v. Michaud
1998 ME 251 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1998)
State v. Friel
508 A.2d 123 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1986)
State v. Sawyer
2001 ME 88 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2001)
State v. Rees
2000 ME 55 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 2000)
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. Pike
632 A.2d 132 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
State of Maine v. Smith, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-maine-v-smith-mesuperct-2009.