State v. Van Hook

530 N.E.2d 883, 39 Ohio St. 3d 256, 1988 Ohio LEXIS 365
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 9, 1988
DocketNo. 87-1159
StatusPublished
Cited by146 cases

This text of 530 N.E.2d 883 (State v. Van Hook) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Van Hook, 530 N.E.2d 883, 39 Ohio St. 3d 256, 1988 Ohio LEXIS 365 (Ohio 1988).

Opinions

Holmes, J.

Appellant asserts as his first proposition of law that the trial court failed to suppress the con[258]*258fession given by appellant to Cincinnati homicide detective William Davis. The confession was made while appellant was in the custody of the Broward County Sheriff’s office in Ft. Lauder-dale, Florida, awaiting extradition to Cincinnati. Actually, the Ft. Lauder-dale police had sought appellant for some time in their area. This was upon the recommendation of Detective Davis, who had received information through telephone calls from appellant’s family.

On the morning of April 1, 1985, appellant was arrested by the combined forces of the Ft. Lauderdale and the Oakland Park Police Departments. While at the Oakland Park police headquarters, he was advised of his Miranda rights. At that time, he acknowledged that he wished to make a statement without an attorney present, but then added: “Maybe I should have an attorney.” Interpreting this statement as an invocation of the right to counsel, police ceased all interrogation and informed the Cincinnati homicide department of the arrest. Appellant was then transferred to the Broward County Sheriff’s Department. No attorney was provided to appellant between the time when police ended their interrogation and the time, some hours later, when appellant confessed to the Cincinnati homicide detectives.

At 9:20 p.m., the detectives arrived at the Broward County Sheriff’s office, where they met with appellant. Initially, they discussed the extradition of appellant to Cincinnati. Apparently appellant had, subsequent to his post-arrest interrogation, voluntarily communicated to the Ft. Lauderdale police that he desired to waive the extradition process so as to expedite his return to Cincinnati. This had been communicated to the homicide detectives prior to their departure from Cincinnati. They sought to confirm these facts and also to inform appellant of their intention to leave for Cincinnati on the following day.

During the conversation, Detective Davis told appellant that he, Davis, had been in contact with appellant’s mother and that “we had a lot to talk to him about.” The detective informed him that the detectives could not talk to him unless appellant wanted to talk to them and make a statement. Appellant replied that he also had spoken with his mother, that she had advised him to “just tell the truth,” and that he wanted to make a statement. Thereafter, police explained the Miranda rights to him, specifically asking if he now desired án attorney, to which he replied that he did not. Appellant then signed a Notification of Rights/Waiver of Rights form. Afterwards, a recording device was turned on and the police again explained to appellant all of his Miranda rights, pausing after each right to inquire whether appellant understood. They informed him that he could end the session at any time, after which they also inquired as follows:

“Q. Okay. And uh you do wanna make uh statement. Is that correct?
“A. Yes
“Q. An’ I understand that you were arrested today at approximately what time?
“A. 10:50 this morning.
“Q. Okay, an’ as you were being booked, you were given your rights by Sgt., I believe, Perry.
“A. Yes.
“Q. Okay, an’ I also understand at that time you indicated to him that you wanted to make uh statement but that you wanted to confer with a lawyer first.
“A. Right.
“Q. Okay. But you have since changed your mind. Is that correct?
“A. Yes
[259]*259“Q. Okay, an’ this is being done of your own free will, correct?
“A. Yes sir.
“Q. Okay. Nobody’s used any force, no coercion of any kind against you to make a statement?
“A. No
“Q. Can you explain why you changed your mind?
“A. Uh, I talked to my Mom today an’ she jus’ told me, you know, be cooperative an’ jus’ tell the truth.
“Q. An’ that’s when you, you, did you say you’re waivin’ your rights to an attorney at this time, after talkin’ to your Mom[?]
“A. Right.”

Appellant then made a full and graphic confession, which is attached hereinafter as the Appendix. The confession included an admission to the killing of David Self as well as to the robbery.

Appellant now asserts that the confession should have been suppressed in its entirety because it was the product of an interrogation which occurred after appellant requested to speak with an attorney and which thus violated the mandate set forth in Edwards v. Arizona (1981), 451 U.S. 477.

In Edwards, it was held that a suspect who has “expressed his desire to deal with the police only through counsel, is not subject to further interrogation by the authorities until counsel has been made available to him, unless the accused himself initiates further communication, exchanges, or conversations with the police.” Id. at 484-485. In subsequent cases, it has been determined that police may not reinitiate an interrogation under the guise of a “generalized discussion * * * [about] the investigation.” Oregon v. Bradshaw (1983), 462 U.S. 1039, 1045. Also, in Wyrick v. Fields (1982), 459 U.S. 42, 46, it was held that interrogation may not resume “unless the suspect himself initiates dialogue with the authorities.” Most recently, these views were reaffirmed in Arizona v. Roberson (1988), 486 U.S ---, 100 L. Ed. 2d 704, 108 S. Ct. 2093.

Having reviewed the record as well as the applicable case law, we conclude that the trial court did not err when it refused to suppress the confession at issue because the record demonstrates that appellant himself reinitiated his own interrogation through a third party. At the hearing on appellant’s motion to suppress, Detective Davis was questioned about how he came to believe that appellant had changed his mind and now wished to make a statement without the benefit of counsel:

“Q. And immediately after Mr. VanHook indicated that to you did you provide him with the Miranda warning
“A. Yes, sir.
‘ ‘Q. — and the reason —. Had you had communications with Mr. Van-Hook’s mother before going to Florida?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And, had she indicated to you that she had talked to Mr. VanHook?
“A. She had.
“Q. And did she indicate to you anything that Mr. VanHook had told her?
“Mr. Mathews: To which I object.
“The Court: Objection will be sustained.
“Q. After speaking with Mrs. VanHook, did you think that Robert VanHook might want to talk to you?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
530 N.E.2d 883, 39 Ohio St. 3d 256, 1988 Ohio LEXIS 365, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-van-hook-ohio-1988.