State v. Shepherd

569 N.E.2d 683, 1991 Ind. App. LEXIS 563, 1991 WL 53950
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 9, 1991
DocketNo. 52A029001CR00002
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 569 N.E.2d 683 (State v. Shepherd) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana 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. Shepherd, 569 N.E.2d 683, 1991 Ind. App. LEXIS 563, 1991 WL 53950 (Ind. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

SHIELDS, Presiding Judge.

The State of Indiana appeals the trial court's order suppressing Marcia Shepherd's testimony from her prior trial.

We reverse.

ISSUE

Whether a defendant's testimony at a prior trial is admissible evidence at a retrial when offered by the State in its case in chief if the record fails to establish the defendant was advised on the record and before testifying of the defendant's right against self-incrimination.

FACTS

On May 23, 1989 Marcia Shepherd's con-viection for murder was reversed and a new trial ordered. Shepherd v. State (1989), Ind., 538 N.E.2d 242. Shepherd testified on her own behalf at her first trial. The record from this trial is silent as to whether Shepherd was advised of her right against self-incrimination before testifying. Prior to the commencement of the retrial the trial court granted Shepherd's motion to suppress the testimony she gave as a defense witness in her first trial:

[T}he Court finds that the Defendant did not intentionally relinquish or abandon a known right or privilege when she took the stand to testify in her own behalf at the trial. The Court therefore denies the State the right to use her testimony from the former trial in its case in chief in the second trial. Defendant's Motion in Li-mine is therefore granted.

Record at 65. The trial court certified the question for interlocutory appeal; this court accepted the question.

DISCUSSION

The State argues the trial court erred in effectively suppressing Shepherd's testimony on the ground the record must affirmatively establish she was advised of her right against self-incrimination before the testimony is admissible. Shepherd's argument in support of the exclusion of the testimony is two-fold. She first claims pri- or testimony should not be utilized over a present assertion of Fifth Amendment rights. She also argues Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 and its progeny require that a defendant must be advised of the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination as a condition precedent to the testimony's admissibility on retrial.

The decision of the Supreme Court in Harrison v. United States (1968), 392 U.S. 219, 88 S.Ct. 2008, 20 L.Ed.2d 1047 addresses Shepherd's first argument. Although the Court in Horrison held the prior testimony was inadmissible because it was the fruit of illegally procured confession, the Court recognized the general rule "that a defendant's testimony at a former trial is admissible in evidence against him in later proceedings." 392 U.S. at 222, 88 S.Ct. at 2010.1

[685]*685Other cases offering guidance include United States v. Anderson (1973), 4th Cir., 481 F.2d 685 and United States v. McClellan (1989), 7th Cir., 868 F.2d 210.

Contrary to the argument of counsel for the defendants at trial, testimony of a defendant, given at another trial or hearing, is admissible, and this is true whether the defendant elects to testify in his own defense or not, and whether he appeared as a defendant or witness. It is of no moment whether the former trial was for the same offense or for some other, or whether the trial was a criminal or civil proceeding.

481 F.2d at 696 (citations omitted). In McClellan the defendant argued his testimony at a former bankruptcy hearing could not be used at his subsequent criminal trial. In holding against the defendant, the court rejected the claim McClellan was forced to choose between two constitutionally based rights. "McClellan has in no way been forced to choose between constitutional rights: he retained his right against self-incrimination throughout the bankruptcy proceeding." McClellan, 868 F.2d at 215.

We find no merit to Shepherd's argument her prior testimony is totally inadmissible at her retrial, i.e., we hold there is no per se exclusion.

The next issue is whether the defendant must be advised on the record of the right against self-incrimination prior to the defendant's initial testimony as a condition to the testimony's admissibility at the defendant's retrial. We hold such advice, on the record, is not a condition to the admissibility of the prior testimony.

The focus of Shepherd's second argument is upon Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694. Miranda addresses the admissibility of a defendant's out-of-court statements made in a custodial setting. Shepherd made her statements in open court, under oath, when she voluntarily testified in her own defense at a trial during which she was represented by counsel. Her statements were not the product of a custodial interrogation and, therefore, Miranda - is inapposite. Anderson, 481 F.2d at 696.

The Fifth Amendment speaks in terms of compelled testimony: "No person shall be . compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, ..." U.S. Const. amendment V. With reference to the right, Shepherd is in no better position than any other witness at a trial who is sworn to tell the truth and obligated to answer or face contempt, unless the witness invokes the privilege against self-incrimination and shows the trial court that the witness faces a realistic threat of self-incrimination. The answers of such a witness are not compelled within the meaning of the Fifth Amendment unless the witness is required to answer over the witness's valid claim of the Fifth Amendment privilege.

[IJn the ordinary case, if a witness under compulsion to testify makes disclosures instead of claiming the privilege, the government has not "compelled" him to incriminate himself.

Garner v. United States (1976), 424 U.S. 648, 654, 96 S.Ct. 1178, 1182, 47 L.Ed.2d 370.

Minnesota v. Murphy (1984), 465 U.S. 420, 104 S.Ct. 1136, 79 L.Ed.2d 409 is instructive. Following Murphy's conviction, he was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation. Among other terms, his probation order required that Murphy report to his probation officer periodically and that he be truthful with his probation officer. During a meeting with his probation officer Murphy admitted committing an earlier and unrelated rape and murder. He was subsequently indicted for first degree murder and sought to suppress the confession made to his probation officer on the ground it was obtained in violation of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The trial court denied Murphy's motion to suppress because Murphy was not in custody at the time of the confession and the confession was neither compelled nor involuntary despite the absence of Miranda warnings. The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the trial court. The court concluded that notwithstanding the lack of [686]

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Bluebook (online)
569 N.E.2d 683, 1991 Ind. App. LEXIS 563, 1991 WL 53950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-shepherd-indctapp-1991.