State v. Barker

372 N.E.2d 1324, 53 Ohio St. 2d 135, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 213, 1978 Ohio LEXIS 505
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 22, 1978
DocketNo. 77-296
StatusPublished
Cited by178 cases

This text of 372 N.E.2d 1324 (State v. Barker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Barker, 372 N.E.2d 1324, 53 Ohio St. 2d 135, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 213, 1978 Ohio LEXIS 505 (Ohio 1978).

Opinion

Locher, J.

I.

Appellant, in his first four propositions of law, contends that his confession and the fruits obtained therefrom were improperly admitted in evidence. This contention is premised upon several asserted reasons. First, appellant alleges that the police failed to properly advise him of his constitutional rights, pursuant to the mandate of Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U. S. 436, by not explaining the exact meaning of his rights. Secondly, appellant claims he was illegally arrested without probable cause at 10:30 a. m. on January 3, 1975. Thirdly, the entirety of the circumstances reveals the involuntary nature of appellant’s confession.

Resolution of this contention necessitates examining the events leading to appellant’s confession. In 1974, appellant was twice contacted by the police concerning the murder of Karen Miller. Then, on January 2, 1975, the Chief of Detectives of the Greene County sheriff’s department telephoned appellant to request that he come in the [138]*138following day for an interview. Appellant indicated that he would he present. However, at approximately 10:00 a. m., appellant phoned the sheriff’s department, stating that his car was disabled, leaving him without a viable means of transportation. An arrangement was concluded whereby a sheriff’s car was sent, pursuant to appellant’s instruction, to a Sohio station in Dayton to transport him to the Greene County sheriff’s department.

Upon appellant’s arrival, Detective Sergeant Norman Crosswhite read the Miranda warnings to appellant and further handed him a pre-interview form, which reiterated the warnings, to read and then sign before questioning the appellant. This form was signed by the appellant. Detective Crosswhite then spoke with the appellant until a cessation at 11:30 a. m. for lunch. Thereafter, they journeyed to London, Ohio, for the administration of a polygraph examination. Returning to the sheriff’s department, appellant had a 15 or 20 minute conversation with the sheriff, at approximately 2:00 p. m. After-wards, Detective Crosswhite again conversed with appellant and informed him of the existence of evidence implicating appellant in the murder of Karen Miller. This discussion culminated in appellant’s confessing to the murder of Karen Miller, at approximately 5:30 p. m.

Only after this admission did appellant state for the first time: “I guess, I can’t go now.” Detective Cross-white replied: “No, sir, you can’t.” Appellant was then incarcerated in the county jail. A stenographic statement of appellant’s reiterated confession was taken later that evening. A second statement was transcribed the following day, wherein appellant reaffimed his prior statement and indicated the location of the murder weapon.

Appellant’s assertion that he was arrested on the morning of the third, not after the confession as contended by appellee and thus without probable cause, is not premised upon any statements prior to the confession that appellant was under arrest or not free to leave. Instead, appellant asserts that the 7Vz hours of interrogation and [139]*139the receipt of his constitutional rights immediately upon arrival at the sheriff’s office evince the fact of his arrest at 10:30 a. m. We are unable to concur with appellant in such a conclusion under the, instant facts.

The word “arrest” is derived from the French “arreter,” meaning to stop or stay, as signifies a restraint of a person. Alter v. Paul (1955), 101 Ohio App. 139, 141. An arrest occurs when the following four requisite elements are involved: (1) An intent to arrest, (2) under a real or pretended authority, (3) accompanied by an actual or constructive seizure or detention of the person, and (4) which is so understood by the person arrested. State v. Terry (1966), 5 Ohio App. 2d 122, 128, citing State v. Milam (1959), 108 Ohio App. 254, 268; see, also, 5 American Jurisprudence 2d 695, Arrest, Section 1, and 6A Corpus Juris Secundum 99, Arrest, Section 43.

In the instant cause, appellant voluntarily came to the sheriff’s office. At no time prior to appellant’s confession did any officer convey an intention to arrest the appellant. Furthermore, there was testimony which indicated that appellant was free to leave until his confession. In fact, appellant, himself, before bis confession, apparently never thought he was under arrest as exemplified by his exclaiming after his confession: “I guess, I can’t go now,” Plainly, these facts do not satisfy the four requisites. Moreover, the facts fail to equate with the “common” definition of arrest (see United States v. Bonanno [S. D. N. Y., 1960], 180 F. Supp. 71, 78).

Appellant next assails the admission of his confession and the fruits thereof, alleging the inadequacy of the Miranda warnings given to him. A similar contention has previously been addressed by this court.1 In State v. Edwards (1976), 49 Ohio St. 2d 31, 39, this court stated:

[140]*140“Miranda does not require a police officer to ask the defendant whether he wants an attorney. He need only inform the accused, as was done here, that the accused has a right to a retained or appointed attorney. Moreover, the defendant was 21 years old, a high school graduate, and able to understand the English language. In being asked whether he understood his rights, he responded affirmatively. He never asked for an attorney.”

As has been previously stated herein, appellant, upon his arrival at the sheriff’s office, was read the Miranda warnings. He was then handed a form to read, which reiterated the warnings, and requested to sign the form. The signed form was presented at the suppression hearing. Furthermore, the Court of Appeals stated that appellant, during this procedure, specifically stated that he did not want an attorney, that he understood the rights delineated by the Miranda warnings and that he waived them.

Appellant’s receipt of the Miranda warnings before his first confession and at least four times thereafter is uncontradicted. No claim of a failure to understand these warnings upon the appellant’s part has been asserted; instead, appellant would have this court mandate a needless redundancy of reading plus explaining the warnings, regardless of appellant’s comprehension of his rights when read. We are constrained to reject this superfluous proposal.

Lastly, appellant states that the totality of the circumstances rendered his confession involuntary. This court, in the second paragraph of the syllabus in State v. Edwards, supra (49 Ohio St. 2d 31), set forth the accepted test for determining the character of a confession:

“In deciding whether a defendant’s confession is involuntarily induced, the court should consider the totality of the circumstances, including the age, mentality, and prior criminal experience of the accused; the length, intensity, and frequency of interrogation; the existence of [141]*141physical deprivation or mistreatment; and the existence of threat or inducement.”

A perusal of the record reveals that both the trial court’s and the Court of Appeals’ determinations of the voluntary nature of appellant’s confession were justified.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
372 N.E.2d 1324, 53 Ohio St. 2d 135, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 213, 1978 Ohio LEXIS 505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-barker-ohio-1978.