State v. Medina

2019 UT App 49, 440 P.3d 846
CourtCourt of Appeals of Utah
DecidedMarch 28, 2019
Docket20170328-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 2019 UT App 49 (State v. Medina) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Medina, 2019 UT App 49, 440 P.3d 846 (Utah Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

MORTENSEN, Judge:

¶1 Because this case comes to us on interlocutory appeal, the following facts and allegations remain undetermined. "On interlocutory review, we recount the facts as alleged and in a light most favorable to the ruling below." State v. Stewart , 2018 UT 24 , ¶ 2 n.1, 438 P.3d 515 (cleaned up). A woman (Victim) was found fatally stabbed on the side of a road. The ensuing investigation led police to Sergio Briseno Medina. During an interview, detectives (Detectives) read Medina his Miranda rights. 2 Medina invoked his right to counsel, but immediately after invoking, Medina initiated a substantive conversation with the Detectives regarding the investigation, the circumstances surrounding the murder, and the pending charges against him. After the Detectives told Medina that they had "questions for [him] about [the murder]," Medina stated, "I'm gonna answer questions," and he demanded to know "what's going on" and "[w]hy is it me ... being targeted for something that I wasn't even nearby." During the resulting conversation, Medina made several incriminating statements. Three days later, the Detectives, after confirming that Medina understood he could have an attorney present, interviewed him a second time. The State charged Medina with murder and obstructing justice. Medina moved to suppress his statements made during the interviews, arguing that his Miranda rights were violated by the Detectives' questioning without counsel present. The district court granted Medina's motion, and the State appeals.

¶2 We reverse.

BACKGROUND

The Interviews

¶3 Medina was in Denver, Colorado when law enforcement located him. A search of Medina's and Victim's cell phone records had established that Medina was in the vicinity of Victim's body and her jeep around the time of the murder; a search of the jeep uncovered Medina's fingerprints on the outside of the jeep and Victim's blood on the interior. Medina was arrested and brought into a Denver police station for questioning.

¶4 Prior to any questioning, the Detectives read Medina his Miranda rights, whereupon Medina invoked his right to counsel. The conversation ensued as follows:

The Detectives: Okay well just so you're aware we just wanna make sure that you are aware of your rights okay you still have those (inaudible) and you wanna find out and you wanna have a discussion with us and we wanna make sure you know your rights okay?
Medina: Ya.
D: So you do know you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present with you while you're being questioned. If you can't afford to hire one, one will be appointed to represent you before any questioning if you wish. Okay?
M: Can I have an attorney present then?
D: So ... and if you ... so you're saying you don't wanna talk to us without your attorney present?
M: Well ya the thing is I don't know what's going on. I wanna know what's going on.
D: Okay.
M: Why is it that my sister[']s door gets kicked in ... I've got an officer asking if I got my hands ... if I have an injury on my hands and they're checking my hands and I was like no what's goin on ... Does he have ... What injury are you talking about ... What's going on. You know what I mean? I'm only here tryin (inaudible) cause I wanna lay off the meth cause I was consumin (inaudible) all this goin on and I was like what's goin on. My sister's mad at me right and doesn't want to talk to me because the same situation.
D: Is it what happened with her ...
M: Ya I mean come on wouldn't you be mad?
D: Sure. I'd be frustrated absolutely and that's ... We can have a discussion about that absolutely.
M: And that's why I'm like okay what's goin on. I got people callin me hey there's a homicide or something ... What are you guys talkin about, you know what I mean?
D: Sure.
M: And that's what I wanna know what's going on it's like ... I'm trippin out because that stuff you don't play around with.
D: Right.
M: You don't joke around with. That's not a joke so all I wanna ask you is what's going on here please. I'm gonna answer questions, but at the same time I don't want to get bullshit all mixed up you know what I mean?
D: And we're here to talk about that. We're here to ... we wanna discuss that with you.
M: Okay.
D: But you know we do have questions for you about it. You know we're trying to see ... Your name was brought up that's how we're here you know? People brought your name up and so here we are and we wanna be able to talk to you about it, but it's up to you I mean ...
M: Okay (inaudible) what's going on man please? What's goin on I actually want to know ... That's what ... That's what I'm asking what's goin on. Why is it me that I'm being targeted for something that I wasn't even nearby. It's like what the fuck.
D: Okay.

¶5 Medina went on to explain that he was confused by the circumstances of his arrest. Medina then agreed to answer the Detectives' questions and admitted that Victim was a "friend," that they sold drugs together, and that they had gotten into an argument on the day of the murder. He continued to deny involvement in Victim's murder. The Detectives also questioned Medina about his text messages to his fiancée and to another individual.

¶6 Three days later, the Detectives interviewed Medina for a second time. The second conversation went as follows:

The Detectives: So you asked me to do a couple things when we last talked. I did that okay so I got some ... some good news as far as that goes okay, but just as we get talkin I just want to make sure you still are aware of your rights okay? Do you understand your rights too?
Medina: Yes.
D: That you do have the right to an attorney and you don't have to talk. You can have on[e] present with you and all that right? So you still understand those?
M: Yes.
D: You're still okay to talk to me then?
M: Ya.

¶7 Thus, the Detectives confirmed Medina's understanding that he could have an attorney present or continue to speak with the Detectives without an attorney present.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2019 UT App 49, 440 P.3d 846, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-medina-utahctapp-2019.