State of Maine v. Young

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedNovember 21, 2012
DocketKENcr-12-237
StatusUnpublished

This text of State of Maine v. Young (State of Maine v. Young) 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. Young, (Me. Super. Ct. 2012).

Opinion

STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT KENNEBEC, ss. CRIMINAL ACTION Do~ket No. CR-12-2t7 ~~:•!V,\- K£;1j- I lj21 :zot<_

TilE STATE OF MAINE,

DECISION AND ORDER v. ON DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS STATEMENTS

MICHAEL YOUNG, Defendant

This matter comes before the Court on Defendant Michael Young's Motion to Suppress

Statements made to law enforcement on June 11, 2011, July 12, 2011, and July 20, 2011 on the

grounds that the admission of such statements would violate his constitutional rights under the

Fifth and/or Sixth Amendments.

For purposes of defining each of the Defendant's encounters with law enforcement on the

aforementioned dates, the Court finds that there are four relevant encounters for purposes of

suppression: (1) statements made by the Defendant while in custody at the Augusta Police

Department booking room with Patrolman Doody from 5:44a.m. until around 7:23a.m. on June

11, 2011; (2) statements made to Detectives Tupper and Cote during the course of a custodial

interrogation beginning at 8:10a.m. and lasting for five hours and twenty-seven minutes on June

11, 2011; (3) statements made to Detectives Tupper and Cote on a non-custodial re-approach by

law enforcement at the Defendant's then-residence on July 12, 2011; and (4) statements made to

Detectives Tupper and Cote during a non-custodial arranged meeting between the detectives and

the Defendant at the Augusta Police Department on July 20, 2011. The Court will hereinafter

1 refer to the different encounters as Interviews 1, 2, 3, and 4.

In his motion, the Defendant asserts that he first invoked his right to counsel on June 11,

2011 shortly after he was arrested on a warrant issued for an unrelated charge, and that he was

thereafter subject to custodial interrogation by both the Augusta Police Department and the

Maine State Police on June 11, 2011 in violation of his Miranda rights. (Def. 'sM. Suppress ,-r,-r

1-2.) Defendant argues that the statements made to law enforcement officials during the July 11

custodial interrogation, and on re-approaches by law enforcement on July 12 and 20, 2011

should accordingly be suppressed because the interrogations were Miranda violations, and

because the statements Defendant made therein were all involuntary .1 (Def.' s Mem. in Support

of M. Suppress 4.)

The Defendant and the State agree that the June 11, 2011 interview (Interview 2)

constituted a custodial interrogation, and the parties also agree that the interviews that took place

on July 12 and 20, 2011 did not take place while the Defendant was in custody. (Def.' s Mem. in

Support ofM. Suppress 11; State Reply Mem. 6-8.) While the Defendant argues that the initial

June 11, 2011 Miranda violation serves to taint all subsequent discussions between the

Defendant and law enforcement, the State counters by the July 12 and 20, 2011 interviews

constituted valid re-approaches. (State Reply Mem. 6-8.) Accordingly, the State submits that

the June 11, 2011 interviews should be suppressed as technical Miranda violations, 2 but that

statements made during the July 12 and July 20, 2011 interviews should not be suppressed for

1 Defendant did not assert that any of his statements were involuntary in his June 13, 2012 Motion to Suppress. The State, in its Reply Memorandum, argues that all statements made by the Defendant were voluntary under both state and federal law (State Reply Mem. 1), and the Defendant, in his October 22, 2012 Memorandum in Support, argues for the first time that all statements made subsequent to invoking his right to counsel on June 11, 2011 were involuntary. (Def. 's Mem. in Support ofM. Suppress 4.) 2 The State concedes that the June 11 interviews should be suppressed as Miranda violations, but not because the statements made by the Defendant were involuntary. (State Reply Mem. 5.) any reason. (State Reply Mem. 1.) While the Court is aware the State has stipulated that the

June 11, 2011 interviews should be suppressed, it will address the arguments made by both

parties and analyze the relevant law before doing so. The Court will also address the July 12 and

July 20, 2011 re-approaches by law enforcement.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

At approximately 5:15 a.m. on June 11, 2011, Michael Young called the Augusta Police

Department to summon police officers to the Augusta apartment he shared with his domestic

partner, David Cox. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 1; State Reply Mem. 2.) Patrolman

Paul Doody was among the officers who arrived at the scene, and when he entered the apartment

he observed the Defendant inside, and the room in disarray. (State Reply Mem. 2.) Patrolman

Doody also observed David Cox lying on his side, face down, with an overturned bicycle nearby,

and a large amount of pooled blood. (Def.'s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 1; State Reply Mem.

2.) The Defendant also appeared to have blood on him, and there was a knife on the floor of the

kitchen, away from where David Cox was lying. (Def.'s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 1-2;

State Reply Mem. 2.)

Patrolman Doody had a brief conversation with the Defendant while inside the apartment,

and the Defendant was permitted to wash the blood off his hands. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M.

Suppress 2; State Reply Mem. 2.) Patrolman Doody then escorted the Defendant to his cruiser,

and had him sit in the back seat. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply Mem. 2.)

After communicating with regional dispatch, Patrolman Doody learned that the Defendant had

an outstanding warrant for unpaid fines. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply

Mem. 2-3.) The Defendant informed Patrolman Doody that he had $2,000 at his apartment that

would cover his bail. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply Mem. 3.) Patrolman Doody then transported the Defendant to the Augusta Police Station, and took

him to the booking room. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply Mem. 3 .) The

booking video began at 5:44 a.m. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2). Patrolman Doody did

not read the Defendant the requisite Miranda warning but the parties agree that he was not

conducting an interrogation. 3 (State Reply Mem. 3.) The Defendant invoked his right to an 4 attorney approximately thirty-five minutes after being placed in the booking room. (Def.' s

Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2.) He also said he wanted to make a phone call to find out about

David Cox's condition. (Def. 's Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply Mem. 3.) When

the Defendant asked to leave, Patrolman Doody informed him that he was being held in order for

Maine State Police to come interview him. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply

Mem. 3.)

Starting at 8:10 a.m., Detective Christopher Tupper of the Maine State Police and

Detecive Jason Cote of the Augusta Police Department came to interview the Defendant. (Def.' s

Mem. in Support M. Suppress 2; State Reply Mem. 3.) Before they began asking the Defendant 5 questions, the detectives read the Defendant the Miranda warning. (Def.' s Mem. in Support M.

Suppress 3; State Reply Mem. 3-4.) The interview continued, according to the Defendant, for

3 During this time in the booking room, the Defendant made several spontaneous statements to Patrolman Doody about the incident at the apartment.

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