State v. Quick

739 S.E.2d 608, 226 N.C. App. 541, 2013 WL 1571060, 2013 N.C. App. LEXIS 387
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedApril 16, 2013
DocketNo. COA12-1111
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 739 S.E.2d 608 (State v. Quick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Quick, 739 S.E.2d 608, 226 N.C. App. 541, 2013 WL 1571060, 2013 N.C. App. LEXIS 387 (N.C. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinions

HUNTER, JR., Robert N., Judge.

[542]*542The State appeals from an order entered 14 May 2012 suppressing statements made by Ishmael Lamar Quick (“Defendant”) based on violations of his right to counsel and right against self-incrimination. We affirm the trial court’s order.

I. Factual & Procedural Background

On 27 April 2010, Defendant was in custody at the Harnett County Detention Center. Detective Rodney Jackson of the Harnett County Sherriffs Office had secured warrants for additional charges against Defendant and led him from the jail to the interrogation room of the Sherriffs Department. After Detective Jackson read Defendant his Miranda rights at 12:32 p.m., Defendant said that he wanted his attorney present and asked to contact his attorney.

Detective Jackson and Defendant left the interrogation room and went to another room, where Defendant tried to use the phone to contact his lawyer. When he was unable to contact his attorney, Defendant left a message. Detective Jackson returned Defendant to the interrogation room and asked if he “still wanted his lawyer present.” Defendant again said that he wanted his attorney.

While walking from the interrogation room back to the jail, Detective Jackson told Defendant that he would be serving him with more warrants. He told Defendant that an attorney did not need to be present, that an attorney would not help with the warrants, and that the warrants would be served regardless of whether the attorney was there. At that point, Defendant said, “We need to talk.”

Detective Jackson returned Defendant to the interrogation room and re-read him his Miranda rights at 12:39 p.m. At 12:48 p.m., a waiver form was filled out, and Defendant signed the form indicating that he wanted to talk without his attorney. The form was witnessed by another detective at 12:59 p.m.

Defendant was indicted on charges of felonious breaking or entering, felonious larceny pursuant to a breaking or entering, felonious possession of stolen goods, and felonious conspiracy to commit breaking or entering. On 8 May 2012, Defendant filed a motion to suppress based on violations of his Sixth Amendment rights. A hearing was held before Judge Mary Arm Tally in Cumberland County Superior Court on 10 May 2012. On 14 May 2012, the trial court granted the motion to suppress. The State filed timely notice of appeal.

[543]*543II. Jurisdiction & Standard of Review

This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 15A-979(c) and 15A-1445(b) (2011). Our review of a trial court’s denial of a motion to suppress is “strictly limited to determining whether the trial judge’s underlying findings of fact are supported by competent evidence, in which event they are conclusively binding on appeal, and whether those factual findings in turn support the judge’s ultimate conclusions of law.” State v. Cooke, 306 N.C. 132, 134, 291 S.E.2d 618, 619 (1982). “The trial court’s conclusions of law . . . are fully reviewable on appeal.” State v. Hughes, 353 N.C. 200, 208, 539 S.E.2d 625, 631 (2000).

III. Analysis

The State argues that the trial court erred in granting Defendant’s motion to suppress because: (1) Defendant was not in custody; (2) Defendant initiated a communication with police; and (3) Defendant’s waiver was knowing and intelligent. We disagree and thus affirm the order of the trial court.

Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444 (1966), established that “the prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or inculpa-tory, stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination.” Miranda established a right to counsel if the defendant “indicates in any manner and at any stage of the process that he wishes to consult with an attorney before speaking.” Id. at 444-45. “[D]uring custodial interrogation, once a suspect invokes his right to counsel, all questioning must cease until an attorney is present or the suspect initiates further communication with the police.” State v. Dix, 194 N.C. App. 151, 155, 669 S.E.2d 25, 28 (2008) (citing Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 485 (1981)).

The State first contends that Defendant was not in custody for purposes of Miranda. However, we do not need to address this argument, as it was not raised at the trial court hearing. The State argued at the hearing that Defendant initiated his communication with the police. The State never argued or mentioned Defendant not being in custody. “[A] contention not raised and argued in the trial court may not be raised and argued for the first time on appeal.” In re Hutchinson, _ N.C. App. _, _, 723 S.E.2d 131, 133 (2012); see also Weil v. Herring, 207 N.C. 6, 10, 175 S.E. 836, 838 (1934) (“[T]he law does not permit parties to swap horses between courts in order to get a better mount....”). We therefore will not consider the State’s argument that Defendant was not in custody.

[544]*544The State next argues that Defendant initiated contact with the police following his initial request for counsel and thus waived his right to counsel. “A valid waiver can only occur if the defendant reinitiates the conversation and the waiver was knowing and intelligent.” State v. Tucker, 331 N.C. 12, 35-36, 414 S.E.2d 548, 561 (1992).

The trial court in the present case found both that Defendant did not reinitiate and that Defendant’s waiver was not “knowing and intelligent.” The State does not contest the trial court’s finding of fact that, after Defendant had attempted to contact his attorney, Detective Jackson returned Defendant to the interrogation room and asked him again if he wanted an attorney. Defendant answered in the affirmative. The State also does not contest the trial court’s finding of fact that

On the way back from the interrogation room, Detective Jackson told the defendant that he [had] more warrants to serve on him, that an attorney would not be able to help with the warrants, and that defendant would be served with the warrants regardless of whether the attorney was there or not. Defendant thereafter agreed to talk.

The State argues that the trial court was incorrect in concluding from these facts that Defendant did not initiate the communication.

“Interrogation” under Miranda encompasses “not only . . . express questioning, but also . . . any words or actions on the part of the police (other than those normally attendant to arrest and custody) that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect.” Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 301 (1980). The test is whether the police “should have known” their comments were likely to elicit an incriminating response. Id.

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

Related

State v. Kleist & Lipscomb
Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2025
State v. Santillan
815 S.E.2d 690 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2018)
State v. Council
753 S.E.2d 223 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
739 S.E.2d 608, 226 N.C. App. 541, 2013 WL 1571060, 2013 N.C. App. LEXIS 387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-quick-ncctapp-2013.