State v. Statum

390 So. 2d 886
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 10, 1980
Docket67525
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 390 So. 2d 886 (State v. Statum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Statum, 390 So. 2d 886 (La. 1980).

Opinion

390 So.2d 886 (1980)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Robert Dale STATUM.

No. 67525.

Supreme Court of Louisiana.

November 10, 1980.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Leonard K. Knapp, Dist. Atty., Terry Johnson, Abbott J. Reeves, Asst. Dist. Attys., for plaintiff-appellee.

James A. Smith, Smith & Wise, Lake Charles, for defendant-appellant.

*887 BLANCHE, Justice.

Defendant, Robert Dale Statum, was indicted by a grand jury for manslaughter, R.S. 14:31. The defendant's motion to suppress all of his oral and written inculpatory statements was tried before Judge Yelverton of the 14th Judicial District Court and was denied. The defendant was tried before a twelve person jury and was convicted by a vote of 11 to 1. The defendant was sentenced to seven years in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

The facts in this case are deduced from the motion to suppress hearing, the defendant's two statements, and the transcribed portions of the trial court which were sent to this Court.

On Saturday, July 28, 1979 the victim, Tammy Lonidier, was a passenger in the defendant's car. Tammy was the sister of the defendant's wife and was 13 years old at the time of her death. During that day, the defendant had several beers and some wine that night. That evening, he told his wife he wanted to "have sex" with her sister, Tammy, and his wife, though upset, went along with the idea in order to "save her marriage". Later that night, on the pretext of going to borrow some money, the defendant, his wife, their two children and Tammy got into the car and drove around the block. Defendant let everyone out of the car and his wife told Tammy to get back in the car with the defendant, who said he wanted to talk with Tammy. Instead of driving around the block, the defendant began driving toward a local skating rink. While the car was going 50 to 55 miles per hour, Tammy opened her door and exited the vehicle. This incident occurred around midnight. She died the next day of multiple injuries suffered from the fall.

After she jumped, defendant returned to his wife and they searched for Tammy without success. They then went to defendant's sister's house and from there, to the DeQuincy Police station to obtain assistance in finding Tammy. The police on duty returned to the area, immediately found Tammy, and called an ambulance.

Since the defendant and his wife were so shaken up and had become hysterical, and because their car would not start, one of the officers gave them a ride back to their trailer home. After taking the defendant and his wife home, the DeQuincy Police got a call from the Lake Charles Sheriff's Office to bring the defendant and his wife in for questioning as to the incident. The police went to the defendant's trailer that morning and asked the defendant and his wife to come in to Lake Charles with them, which they agreed to do.

At the Lake Charles Sheriff's Office, the defendant and his wife were separately interrogated. The defendant made a written statement which, in essence, said his wife had been in the car with him and Tammy, that he and his wife had been arguing, and that Tammy had jumped out of the moving car. No mention was made of the defendant's desire to have sex with Tammy nor the scheme which he and his wife developed toward this goal. The defendant and his wife were then returned by the police to their trailer around dawn.

That Sunday morning, Deputy Albanese came on duty at the Lake Charles Sheriff's Office. After receiving a call from Sheriff Reid and himself wondering about the incident, he dispatched a deputy to go to the defendant's trailer to ask the defendant and his wife to come back in for further questioning. This was done, and the defendant and his wife drove in on their own at 1:00 p. m. on Sunday, July 29, 1979. Again, they were questioned separately. The defendant made a second written statement where he told the true story of his desire to have sex with Tammy, and how they were alone when she exited his car at 50 to 55 miles per hour. Defendant admitted lying at the first written statement, saying he did so because he didn't think anyone would believe him.

At each interrogation session, the defendant was advised of his constitutional rights and he signed a written waiver. The police clearly testified that neither the defendant nor his wife were under arrest, nor did they have probable cause to arrest them, when the statements were made. The police said *888 they were merely investigating the incident and were seeking the defendant's and his wife's assistance. The two statements made by defendant constituted the bulk of the case against him.

Defendant makes two assignments of error. This Court at oral argument asked for and received from the defense and from the state supplemental briefs on a third issue.

Assignment of Error Number 1

Defendant contends the trial court erred in overruling his motion to suppress all oral and written inculpatory statements made by him, as such statements were made at a time when the defendant was under arrest without probable cause in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The state admits the defendant was not arrested until approximately 8:00 p. m. on July 29, 1979 after he had made the second statement. It is the state's position that the defendant and his wife were requested to come to the Lake Charles Sheriff's Office for the first statement to give the initial information about the incident. At that time the police did not know the cause of the incident; some were even terming it a suicide. The defendant and his wife were requested to come in for the second statement when Deputy Albanese, the Chief of Special Investigations, had a suspicion about the case and had been called by Sheriff Reid to look into the matter.

The state contends that both of the statements were taken as part of the overall investigation and that the defendant was not under arrest at any time until after the second statement revealed his involvement. Several deputies testified the defendant was not forced to go make the statements and, once there, he was free to leave any time he wished.

The defendant argues that when he was taken by the police from his trailer to Lake Charles in the early morning hours following the incident that he was, in fact, arrested without probable cause. The resulting first statement should be suppressed for this reason. He then says he was, in fact, ordered to drive into Lake Charles to make the second statement and, in effect, was again placed under arrest without probable cause. He feels that the resulting second statement should be suppressed for this reason, and because of the taint from the first arrest. Additionally, the defendant's wife testified she felt they were under arrest because of the presence of the police with uniforms and guns (though not drawn) at their trailer, and the fact that the police interrogated her and her husband separately and wouldn't let her join her husband until her statement was complete. She said they drove back to the Sheriff's Office at 1:00 p. m. that Sunday to make the second statement because they were ordered to do so and felt they had to comply as if they were arrested.

The issue squarely is was the defendant arrested without probable cause such that his statements should have been suppressed? Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 83 S.Ct. 407, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963).

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Bluebook (online)
390 So. 2d 886, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-statum-la-1980.