State v. Greene

2020 Ohio 3684
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 1, 2020
Docket19CA8
StatusPublished

This text of 2020 Ohio 3684 (State v. Greene) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio 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. Greene, 2020 Ohio 3684 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Greene, 2020-Ohio-3684.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT HIGHLAND COUNTY

State of Ohio, : Case No. 19CA8

Plaintiff-Appellee, :

v. : DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Matthew Lee Greene, :

Defendant-Appellant. : RELEASED 7/01/2020

APPEARANCES:

Bryan Scott Hicks, Lebanon, Ohio for appellant.

Anneka P. Collins, Highland County Prosecutor, and Adam J. King, Highland County Assistant Prosecutor, Hillsboro, Ohio, for appellee.

Hess, J.

{¶1} Matthew Lee Greene appeals his rape convictions and contends that the

trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress his statements made to an investigating

detective. He argues that his statements (1) were not voluntary and (2) that he was

subject to a custodial interrogation and his Miranda rights were improperly given. We

conclude that the trial court did not err in denying Greene’s motion to suppress because

the investigators did not use coercive police tactics during the interview. Greene’s

statements were voluntary. In his motion to suppress, Greene conceded that the interview

was non-custodial and did not challenge the Miranda warning. Therefore, he has waived

those arguments on appeal. We overrule Greene’s sole assignment of error and affirm

the trial court’s judgment. Highland App. No. 19CA8 2

I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶2} In October 2018, the Highland County Grand Jury indicted Greene on two

counts of rape, in violation of R.C. 2907.02(A)(2), first degree felonies, for raping a minor

who resided with him. Prior to trial, Greene filed a motion to suppress statements he

made to investigators during an interview on the ground that his statements were not

voluntary. Greene did not contend that the interview was “custodial” in nature, nor did he

challenge the Miranda warning given after Greene confessed to engaging in sexual

activity with the victim. Rather he explicitly conceded, “at some point during the interview,

Defendant was apprised of his miranda [sic] rights. He was not in custody and the

interview took place at his residence.” The trial court denied the motion, finding that the

circumstances surrounding Greene’s statements showed that they were made voluntarily.

A jury found Greene guilty of both rape counts and the trial court sentenced Greene to a

total prison term of 20 years.

II. ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

{¶3} Greene assigns the following error for our review:

1. The motion to suppress was improperly denied.

III. LAW AND ANALYSIS

A. Motion to Suppress

1. Standard of Review

{¶4} In general “appellate review of a motion to suppress presents a mixed

question of law and fact.” State v. Codeluppi, 139 Ohio St.3d 165, 2014-Ohio-1574, 10

N.E.3d 691, ¶ 7. “When considering a motion to suppress, the trial court assumes the

role of trier of fact and is therefore in the best position to resolve factual questions and Highland App. No. 19CA8 3

evaluate the credibility of witnesses.” State v. Burnside, 100 Ohio St.3d 152, 2003-Ohio-

5372, 797 N.E.2d 71, ¶ 8. “Consequently, an appellate court must accept the trial court's

findings of fact if they are supported by competent, credible evidence.” Id. “ ‘Accepting

these facts as true, the appellate court must then independently determine, without

deference to the conclusion of the trial court, whether the facts satisfy the applicable legal

standard.’ ” Codeluppi at ¶ 7, quoting Burnside at ¶ 8.

2. Voluntariness of Confession

{¶5} If a defendant challenges a confession as involuntary, the state must prove

a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver by a preponderance of evidence. Miranda v.

Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 475, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966); Colorado v. Connelly,

479 U.S. 157, 168-169, 107 S.Ct. 515, 93 L.Ed.2d 473 (1986). Voluntariness of a

confession is determined by “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 physical deprivation or mistreatment; and the

existence of threat or inducement.” State v. Edwards, 49 Ohio St.2d 31, 358 N.E.2d 1051

(1976), paragraph two of the syllabus, death penalty vacated on other grounds, 438 U.S.

911, 98 S.Ct. 3147, 57 L.Ed.2d 1155 (1978).

{¶6} “The voluntariness of a confession is a question of law subject to de novo

review.” State v. McClellan, 4th Dist. Highland No. 18CA11, 2019-Ohio-4339, ¶ 22, citing

State v. Fouts, 4th Dist. Washington No. 15CA25, 2016-Ohio-1104, ¶ 35. Unless we find

that the police used a coercive tactic, we need not assess the totality of the

circumstances. Id. citing State v. Perez, 124 Ohio St.3d 122, 2009-Ohio-6179, 920 N.E.2d

104, ¶ 71. “Evidence of use by the interrogators of an inherently coercive tactic (e.g. Highland App. No. 19CA8 4

physical abuse, threats, deprivation of food, medical treatment or sleep) will trigger the

totality of the circumstances analysis.” State v. Clark, 38 Ohio St.3d 252, 261, 527 N.E.2d

844 (1988). “To support a determination that a confession was coerced, the evidence

must establish that: (1) the police activity was objectively coercive; (2) the coercion in

question was sufficient to overbear defendant's will; and (3) defendant's will was, in fact,

overborne as a result of the coercive police activity.” State v. Humphrey, 4th Dist. Ross

No. 10CA3150, 2010-Ohio-5950, ¶ 18, vacated on other grounds, 128 Ohio St.3d 397,

2011-Ohio-1426, 944 N.E.2d 1172, quoting United States v. Rigsby, 943 F.2d 631, 635

(6th Cir.1991); State v. McClellan, 4th Dist. Highland No. 18CA11, 2019-Ohio-4339, ¶ 18,

appeal not allowed, 157 Ohio St.3d 1540, 2020-Ohio-122, 137 N.E.3d 1218, ¶ 18.

{¶7} In his motion to suppress and at the suppression hearing, Greene argued

that his confession was involuntary because he told the police he had mental issues and

was taking a prescription drug, and he had not eaten or slept for some time. Additionally,

Greene argued that the police used deceptive tactics by misleading him about their

resources and the DNA evidence and by telling Greene they were trying to reunite the

family. Greene argues that the investigator used “unrelenting pressures and tactics” that

were “almost uniformly psychological tactics * * * deceptive in nature.”

{¶8} At the suppression hearing, Sergeant Chris Bowen of the Highland County

Sheriff Department testified that he and Detective Vincent Antinore interviewed Greene.

Detective Antinore conducted the interview, and when Greene confessed, Detective

Antinore read Greene his Miranda rights, which Greene waived and continued to talk.

Greene did not appear to be under the influence of any medication or intoxicated, his

speech was not slurred, he did not appear tired or unable to concentrate, and he Highland App. No. 19CA8 5

understood the questions, responded appropriately, and was speaking to them in a

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Frazier v. Cupp
394 U.S. 731 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Colorado v. Connelly
479 U.S. 157 (Supreme Court, 1986)
United States v. Wendell B. Rigsby
943 F.2d 631 (Sixth Circuit, 1991)
Russell Ledbetter v. Ron Edwards, Warden
35 F.3d 1062 (Sixth Circuit, 1994)
State v. Sapp
2004 Ohio 7008 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2004)
State v. Codeluppi
2014 Ohio 1574 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2014)
State v. Humphrey
2011 Ohio 1426 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2011)
State v. Perez
2009 Ohio 6179 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Humphrey
2010 Ohio 5950 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2010)
State v. Fouts
2016 Ohio 1104 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2016)
State v. Shelby
2016 Ohio 5721 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2016)
State v. Smith
2017 Ohio 2708 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
State v. McClellan
2019 Ohio 4339 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2019)
State v. Edwards
358 N.E.2d 1051 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1976)
State v. Clark
527 N.E.2d 844 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Shindler
636 N.E.2d 319 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1994)
State v. Bays
716 N.E.2d 1126 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1999)
State v. Hughbanks
792 N.E.2d 1081 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2003)
State v. Burnside
797 N.E.2d 71 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2020 Ohio 3684, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-greene-ohioctapp-2020.