State v. Dominguez

642 P.2d 195, 97 N.M. 592
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 18, 1982
Docket5490
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 642 P.2d 195 (State v. Dominguez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Dominguez, 642 P.2d 195, 97 N.M. 592 (N.M. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION

WOOD, Judge.

The trial court suppressed defendant’s statement; the State appeals. We discuss (1) custodial interrogation and (2) waiver.

The trial court found:

(a) State Police Officer Rogers received a report from the driver of a semi tractor-trailer; the report was that the driver had been fired upon from a white Cadillac.

(b) Thereafter, Luna County Sheriff’s Officer Pena located a white Cadillac parked on the shoulder of the highway.

(c) Defendant was in the Cadillac; Pena requested that defendant accompany Pena to the Luna County Sheriff’s Office.

(d) At the Luna County Sheriff’s Office, defendant telephoned the law firm of Martin, Lutz, Cresswell and Hubert, P.A., and employed that firm to represent him “in the matter.”

(e) Attorney Lutz immediately contacted Officer Rogers and the district attorney and advised them of his representation of defendant.

(f) It was decided to transport defendant to another county. “Upon arriving at the Luna County-Grant County line, Officer Pena delivered Dominguez to Officer Rogers, who for the first time read the Defendant his Miranda warning and rights.... At the time of this action, Officer Rogers knew that Dominguez was represented by legal counsel.”

(g) “Before arriving at the Hidalgo County jail, the Defendant had stated that he did not desire to make a statement and would not do so except in the presence of his lawyers.”

(h) “Thereafter, contrary to these instructions, Officer Rogers asked Dominguez to make a statement.”

(i) “At the time that Officer Rogers took the written statement, he knew that Dominguez was represented by legal counsel and that Dominguez had refused to give a statement.”

(j)“That neither the District Attorney’s office nor the New Mexico State Police contacted Dominguez’ attorneys before communicating with Dominguez to get a statement.”

The trial court concluded that defendant’s written statement “was given in contravention of his rights to counsel”; that defendant “did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to counsel * * *.’’

Our calendar assignment proposed summary affirmance of the suppression order on the basis of State v. Showalter, 94 N.M. 663, 615 P.2d 278 (Ct.App.1980) and Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 101 S.Ct. 1880, 68 L.Ed.2d 378 (1981). The State opposes summary affirmance.

Custodial Interrogation

State v. Word, 80 N.M. 377, 456 P.2d 210 (Ct.App.1969), applied Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694, 10 A.L.R.3d 974 (1966), and held that if a defendant indicates that he wishes to consult with an attorney before speaking, there can be no questioning. Consistent with State v. Word, supra, State v. Showalter, supra, held: “Because the police ignored defendant’s request for an attorney and continued the interrogation, the trial court properly suppressed the statements.”

Seeking to avoid the applicability of Word and Showalter, the State asserts those decisions apply only to custodial interrogation and there was no interrogation in this case. It is undisputed that defendant was in custody when Officer Rogers “asked Dominguez to make a statement.” State v. Ferrari, 80 N.M. 714, 460 P.2d 244 (1969), following Miranda, supra, refers to “interrogation” in the sense of questions “designed to elicit incriminating responses” or questions “likely to have that effect”. Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 64 L.Ed.2d 297 (1980), states: “A practice that the police should know is reasonably likely to evoke an incriminating response from a suspect thus amounts to interrogation.” Asking defendant to “make a statement” was designed to elicit an incriminating response; there was interrogation under State v. Ferrari, supra, and Rhode Island v. Innis, supra.

Waiver

Defendant had stated that he did not desire to make a statement and would not do so except in the presence of his lawyers. Miranda, supra, held that if interrogation continues without the presence of an attorney and a statement is taken, the government must meet the “heavy burden” of demonstrating a waiver of the right to counsel.

The State contends either that there was a waiver in this case, or that waiver is a factual issue which prevents a summary disposition. The “facts” which the State contends require reassignment of the case to the Limited Calendar are: (a) defendant’s statement was made three and one-half hours after defendant stated he would only make a statement in the presence of counsel; (b) Officer Rogers did no more than ask defendant to make a statement; (c) defendant is a self-made businessman with a variety of business interests, fluent in English and Spanish, familiar with the legal system and knowledgeable in the use of professional advisers. The State asserts that under State v. Greene, 91 N.M. 207, 572 P.2d 935 (1977), “the totality of the circumstances indicate a knowing and intelligent waiver such that the statement was, in fact, voluntary.”

When State v. Greene, supra, was decided, the United States Supreme Court had not decided a waiver of the right to counsel after that right was invoked. Edwards v. Arizona, supra, has decided this question. In Edwards, Arizona courts utilized a totality of the circumstances approach.

(a) Edwards held that a finding of a voluntary statement does not dispose of the question of whether there has been a waiver of the right to counsel:

[T]he voluntariness of a consent or an admission on the one hand, and a knowing and intelligent waiver on the other, are discrete inquiries. Here, however sound the conclusion of the state courts as to the voluntariness of Edwards’ admission may be, neither the trial court nor the Arizona Supreme Court undertook to focus on whether Edwards understood his right to counsel and intelligently and knowingly relinquished it. It is thus apparent that the decision below misunderstood the requirement for finding a valid waiver of the right to counsel, once invoked.

(b) Edwards, supra, states:

[Although we have held that after initially being advised of his Miranda rights, the accused may himself validly waive his rights and respond to interrogation, see North Carolina v. Butler, supra [441 U.S. 369], at 372-376, 60 L.Ed.2d 286, 99 S.Ct.

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Related

State v. Post
783 P.2d 487 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1989)
State v. Boeglin
666 P.2d 1274 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1983)
State v. Barela
643 P.2d 287 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1982)

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642 P.2d 195, 97 N.M. 592, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-dominguez-nmctapp-1982.