State v. Myers

140 N.W.2d 891, 258 Iowa 940, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 764
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMarch 8, 1966
Docket51679
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 140 N.W.2d 891 (State v. Myers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Myers, 140 N.W.2d 891, 258 Iowa 940, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 764 (iowa 1966).

Opinions

Larson, J.

Defendant, a sixty-one-year-old janitor, was convicted of sodomy (fellatio) on a nine-year-old boy. He appeals, urging three errors for reversal.

The principal issue in this case involves the admission into evidence of defendant’s statement to summoned officers as they were taking him to the police station for investigation and interrogation. For the reasons which we set out hereinafter, we have concluded the statement was properly admitted and its acceptance was not reversible error.

. The State’s evidence shows defendant took a nine-year-old boy and his eight-year-old brother into his apartment on June 27,1964, at about 1 p.m., and performed the act charged'on the older boy. The boys notified their grandmother, parents, and older brothers of the incident. They called defendant from his apartment and he was “mauled” by the stepfather. The police were called and, when they arrived, the nine-year-old boy identified defendant and in his presence told the police what had happened. The mother testified defendant denied the accusatory statements, but the boy and the officers claimed defendant said nothing. As a crowd gathered,- the police placed defendant, in the squad ear and took him directly to the police station. One of the officers testified that on the way to the station “I asked the defendant how he could explain the boys being in the apartment. He stated that they were in the apartment. * *

“Q. Was that the extent of the conversation? As you recall it at that time? A. The defendant objected to being detained. He didn’t think he had done anything to go to jail for.
[943]*943“Q. But he did admit the boys were in his apartment, is that, right? A, Yes.” ... ' ■ ■ :

The second officer’s testimony was to1 a like effect, and timely objection to this evidence was made.

. I, Defendant contends when he w;as taken into custody by the police he became an accused, that thereafter he was entitled, to advice of counsel, and that he did not waive that right but was effectively deprived thereof when the foregoing question was asked him by the officers on the way to the police- station. He contends the right to counsel attaches as soon as one becomes an accused, extends to all periods of police interrogation when- constitutional rights'must be intelligently exercised oy waived, 'and does not depend upon a request for counsel. He relies upon Escobedo v. Illinois, 378 U. S. 478, 84 S. Ct. 1758, 12 L. Ed.2d 977, and the eases therein cited; People v. Dorado, 62 Cal.2d. 338, 42 Cal. Rptr. 169, 398 P.2d 361; State v. Neely, 239 Ore. 487, 395 P.2d 557; United States ex rel. Russo v. New Jersey, 351 F.2d 429 (1965); People v. Schader, 62 Cal.2d 716, 44 Cal. Rptr. 193, 401 P.2d 665; State v. Turner, Ore., 404 P.2d 187; State v. Dufour, R. I., 206 A.2d 82.

It is clear that until defendant reached the station' and was turned over to the detectives for questioning, he was not advised. of his right to remain, silent or his. right to counsel. There was no contention defendant waived any of his constitutional rights. The issue is whether these rights were violated. Thus we face the very controversial issue of when one' is entitled to- be considered an “accused” so as to bar the admission into evidence .of. any voluntary statements made to the investigating officers. Reams have been written in' opinions and Law Review articles on this subject since the.Escobedo decision, and the controversy gqes on.. See annotation, 1 A. L. R.3d 1251.

Recently in State v. Fox, 257 Iowa 174, 178, 131-N.W.2d. 684, 686, we said: “The rule is well settled that one accused.of ■ a crime may refuse to answer questions of the police, and, before doing so,, is entitled to advice of counsel.” Hp-weyer, we held voluntary statements made in response to police questions when defendant’s counsel was absent but access to him was not denied, were admissible, especially when no objections, thereto were [944]*944made. We expressed the view then that Escobedo was limited to its particular facts, which disclosed that Escobedo was accused of the crime of murder and was being extensively interrogated by the relays of officers when his attorney was being excluded and could not advise him. In fact, the United States Supreme Court on at least three occasions said the same thing in Escobedo v. Illinois, supra. In the opinion it said: “The critical question in this case is whether, under the circumstances, the refusal by the police to honor petitioner’s request to consult with his lawyer during the course of an interrogation constitutes a denial of ‘the Assistance of Counsel’ * * (Emphasis supplied.) The opinion continues: “We hold, therefore, that where, as here, the investigation is no longer a general inquiry into an unsolved crime but has begun to focus on a particular suspect, the suspect has been taken into police custody, the police carry out a process of interrogations that lends itself to eliciting incriminating statements, the suspect has requested 'and been denied an opportunity to consult with his lawyer, and the police have not effectively warned him of his absolute constitutional right to remain silent, the accused has been domed ‘the Assistance of Counsel’ * * (Emphasis supplied.) The opinion concludes: “We hold only that when the process shifts from investigatory to accusatory- — • when its focus is on the accused and its purpose is to elicit a confession — our adversary system begins to operate, and, under the circumstances here, the accused must be permitted to consult with his lawyer.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The statement! of the question involved and the pronouncements above clearly disclose the court held only that under these circumstances the accused must be permitted to consult his counsel. In reaching this result the court does say that an accused has a constitutional right to demand counsel when the police investigation becomes accusatory. It then pointed out: “The ‘guiding hand of counsel’ was essential to advise petitioner of his rights in this delicate situation” and that “This was the ‘stage when legal aid and advice’ were most critical to petitioner”, thus advancing the time formerly considered “critical”, i.e., when one is brought before a magistrate as by law provided. For that time in Iowa, see section 755.17, Code, 1962.

[945]*945In State v. Mabbitt, 257 Iowa 1063, 1070, 135 N.W.2d 525, 530, we held a defendant was not denied the assistance of counsel under Escobedo or of his right to remain silent where, before interrogating him in the absence of counsel, police officers fully advised him of his right to remain silent and that anything he said might be used against him. Also see State v. Tharp, 258 Iowa 224, 138 N.W.2d 78.

There is no suggestion that defendant’s statements to the officers here were not voluntary. Ini fact, in the trial he denied making them. There is no claim of coercion, physically or mentally. Therefore, if defendant’s contention is to be upheld, we must hold any statements voluntarily made by one at the time of his arrest when he hasi not been advised of his constitutional right to remain silent and to have the assistance of counsel, cannot be admitted in evidence in the absence of an intelligent waiver of such rights.

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State v. Myers
140 N.W.2d 891 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
140 N.W.2d 891, 258 Iowa 940, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-myers-iowa-1966.