State v. Wilson

508 N.E.2d 1002, 31 Ohio App. 3d 133, 31 Ohio B. 221, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10132
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 28, 1986
DocketCA85-10-080
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 508 N.E.2d 1002 (State v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio 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. Wilson, 508 N.E.2d 1002, 31 Ohio App. 3d 133, 31 Ohio B. 221, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10132 (Ohio Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

This cause came on to be heard upon the appeal from the Court of Common Pleas of Clermont County.

Defendant-appellant, Stanley Wil *134 son, voluntarily submitted to a polygraph test for the purpose of determining whether he participated in a breaking and entering in Hamilton County. Prior to the administration of the test, appellant was asked a control question concerning his participation in other crimes. Appellant admitted that he had knowledge of other crimes and, in response to further questioning, admitted participation in two other crimes when he was a juvenile. As a result, appellant was subsequently charged with two counts of breaking and entering, after which the juvenile court waived jurisdiction and appellant was tried as an adult.

Appellant, prior to trial, filed a motion to suppress all statements of appellant and all physical evidence relating to the two counts in the indictment.

At the hearing on the motion to suppress at which appellant was the only witness, the following facts were revealed.

A Loveland police officer told appellant, then eighteen years of age, that he was a suspect in a breaking and entering at the Loveland Library in Hamilton County. Appellant denied knowledge of that incident and the officer asked appellant to take a polygraph examination. Appellant agreed to do so and the officer offered to take appellant to the examination. Two days later, on January 30, 1985, appellant rode to the Hamilton County Courthouse with the officer for the examination.

Prior to the administration of the polygraph test, appellant was read a waiver of rights form which he then signed, attesting to his awareness of his constitutional rights under Miranda v. Arizona (1966), 384 U.S. 436, 36 O.O.2d 237. Appellant testified that a second form, which was a lengthy explanation of rights, was explained to him but not read to him; appellant did not read this form before signing it. Appellant testified that he was told this form stated only that the examiner could not be sued if he testified against the appellant.

According to appellant’s testimony, the examiner told appellant that if he was aware of any crimes other than breaking and entering of the library, the outcome of the polygraph test might be affected. Then appellant was asked whether he “knew of” any other crimes. Appellant replied that he did know of two crimes, and revealed that he had been involved in two breaking and entering incidents in Clermont County three years before. Appellant also testified that, at some point during the examination, he wished to remove the test wires from his body but was asked to leave them on and to complete the test. At the conclusion of the examination, appellant returned to his home.

The trial court overruled the motion to suppress, holding that there was no evidence that appellant was in custody, that appellant should have read the second sheet before signing it, and that there was no coercion. Subsequently, appellant entered a plea of no contest to the charge against him, and was convicted of both counts of breaking and entering.

Appellant timely brings this appeal naming the following two assignments of error:

Assignment of Error No. 1:

“The trial court erred to the substantial prejudice of the defendant-appellant by overruling defendant’s motion to suppress his confession made during a polygraph examination where the defendant was not made aware that he was going to be asked questions concerning his knowledge of other crimes and he did not knowingly, intelligently or voluntarily waive his Miranda rights with respect to these other crimes.”

Assignment of Error No. 2:

“The trial court erred to the substantial prejudice of the defendant-appellant by overruling the defendant-appellant’s motion to suppress his confession made during a polygraph exam *135 ination where the prosecution failed to prove by the preponderance of the evidence that the confession was voluntary.”

Appellant argues under his first assignment of error that since he was not advised of his constitutional rights with respect to crimes other than that for which he knew he was to be examined, he could not have knowingly, intelligently, or willingly waived those rights as applied specifically to those crimes. Further, appellant argues that since he wanted to clear himself of the crime for which he was taking the polygraph examination, and since he was told that the only way the examination would be effective would be if he answered the control question, he was being coerced into answering questions about the old crimes.

Appellee argues in response that since appellant voluntarily appeared for the polygraph examination, his confession to the two Clermont County crimes was in a non-cústodial setting and therefore not subject to suppression.

The issue to be decided is whether, after asking whether appellant “knew of any other crimes,” the examiner could properly continue questioning without reminding appellant of his rights with respect to those crimes. The trial court ruled that Wilson’s statements to the polygraph operator should not be suppressed, as there was no Miranda violation. We disagree.

In Miranda, supra, at 444, 36 O.O. 2d at 241, the Supreme Court held that:

“* * * the prosecution may not use statements * * * stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination. By custodial interrogation, we mean questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way.”

Thus, the first question that must be confronted when determining whether there was a Miranda violation is whether appellant was in custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of movement in any significant way. The only relevant inquiry bearing on whether he was “in custody” is “how a reasonable man in the suspect’s position would have understood his situation.” Berkemer v. McCarty (1984), 468 U.S. 420.

During the suppression hearing, appellant testified that he voluntarily went with the police officers to take the polygraph exam, and that he was not placed under arrest after the exam’s conclusion. Certainly, these factors are relevant circumstances in our determination. In Oregon v. Mathiason (1977), 429 U.S. 492, the court held that a suspect who went voluntarily to the police station, where he was immediately informed that he was not under arrest, and.who left the police station at the close of a short interview in which he confessed, was not in custody “ ‘or otherwise deprived of his freedom in any significant way.’ ” Mathiason, supra, at 495.

However, in the case subjudice,

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Related

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
508 N.E.2d 1002, 31 Ohio App. 3d 133, 31 Ohio B. 221, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wilson-ohioctapp-1986.