United States v. Campbell

805 F. Supp. 1379, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17561, 1992 WL 332311
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedNovember 12, 1992
DocketCr. No. A-91-CR-27
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 805 F. Supp. 1379 (United States v. Campbell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Campbell, 805 F. Supp. 1379, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17561, 1992 WL 332311 (W.D. Tex. 1992).

Opinion

ORDER

NOWLIN, District Judge.

Before the Court are two motions to suppress filed by Defendant Bruce Wayne Campbell. On November 9, 1992, this Court held a hearing to consider these motions as well as the other pending motions in this action. The Court ruled on all of the motions at the hearing, except for portions of the motion to suppress statements filed by the Defendant. Having considered and reviewed the motion, the response, the applicable law, the testimony, and the argument of counsel, this Court enters the following opinion, findings of fact, and conclusions of law.

BACKGROUND

The Defendant Bruce Wayne Campbell has been charged by a one count indictment with the offense of arson, committed on or about October 11, 1990, causing the death of two persons, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 844(i).

[1382]*1382Counsel for the Defendant filed various pretrial motions. On November 9, 1992, this Court held a hearing to consider these motions. All of the motions were ruled on at the hearing, except for portions of the Defendant’s motion to suppress statements. Most of the motions ruled on were moot by agreement of the parties.

At the hearing, the Court DENIED the Defendant’s Motion To Suppress Evidence. The Defendant failed to put on any evidence to challenge the validity of the consent to search form which the Government established that the Defendant voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently signed.1

At the hearing, according to Sergeant Jones of the Austin Police Department, the officers who executed the arrest warrant and arrested the Defendant read the Defendant his Miranda rights. Upon the officers’ bringing the Defendant to the police station, Sergeant Jones testified that he personally read the Defendant his basic Miranda rights again and that the Defendant acknowledged and understood them. Sergeant Jones did not have the Defendant sign any written statement that the Defendant understood his rights. Sergeant Jones did not ask the Defendant if the Defendant wanted to waive any of his constitutional rights.

Late in the afternoon on the first day of his custody as a suspect in the offense charged in this action, the Defendant stated that he wanted the assistance of a lawyer. Sergeant Jones testified that all questioning then ceasedv for the day. At the hearing, the Government stipulated to the fact that Defendant Campbell had stated to Sergeant Jones that the Defendant wanted a lawyer and did not wish to talk anymore until he had conferred with a lawyer on the afternoon of the first day in which he was in custody. As the Government conceded at the hearing, the Defendant expressly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights to an attorney and to remain silent.

Apparently, sometime later on the first' day, the Defendant asked one of the guards at the jail to let Sergeant Jones know that the Defendant wished to meet with Sergeant Jones. The jail guard testified that her efforts to reach Sergeant Jones that evening were unavailing. Sometime the next morning, Sergeant Jones was contacted and informed that Defendant Campbell desired a meeting.

After picking up the Defendant, Sergeant Jones took the Defendant to a magistrate. The magistrate judge read the Defendant his Miranda rights and asked the Defendant if he understood his rights. The Defendant answered affirmatively. The magistrate did not ask the Defendant if he wanted to waive any of those rights. More specifically, the magistrate did not ask the Defendant if he wanted to waive his previously asserted right to counsel. No testimony or evidence was admitted to demonstrate that the magistrate had been informed of the Defendant’s earlier request for counsel.

Next, Sergeant Jones took the Defendant to an interview room. Sergeant Jones then left the room to get a tape recorder which he concealed on his person. The Defendant was unaware that his meeting was going to be or actually was taped by Sergeant Jones. After starting the tape recorder, Sergeant Jones went back into the interview room and proceeded to interrogate the Defendant. At no time during this meeting did Sergeant Jones reinform, or in any way explain to, the Defendant his Miranda rights. More importantly, Sergeant Jones did not ever expressly or implicitly ask the Defendant if the Defendant was waiving his previously asserted right to counsel.

Richard Smith, an agent with the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, testified at the hearing. Several hours after the taped meeting with Sergeant Jones, ATF agent Smith stated that he questioned the Defendant about another incident unrelated to the conduct for which the Defendant was being held. If he had been aware of the Defendant’s earlier request for counsel, Agent [1383]*1383Smith testified that he would not have proceeded with his interview of the Defendant. Agent Smith testified that he had not been told that the Defendant wanted a lawyer. Agent Smith testified that he informed the Defendant of his Miranda rights and that the Defendant signed a written waiver of those rights. Agent Smith testified that the Defendant initiated some conversation about the alleged offense for which the Defendant was in custody.

MOTIONS TO SUPPRESS

Motion To Suppress Evidence

The Defendant has moved to suppress all evidence seized by law enforcement officers who entered and searched the Defendant’s residence, after the Defendant had signed a written consent to such actions. Because the warrant under which the Defendant was arrested was allegedly not based upon probable cause, the Defendant asserts that he was arrested in violation of the United States Constitution. Because of his allegedly illegal arrest, the Defendant argues that the written consent was involuntary and tainted by the illegal arrest. The Defendant asserts that all evidence obtained as result of the search should therefore be suppressed.

Like a search warrant, an arrest warrant subjects the determination of probable cause by the police to judicial review. See Steagald v. United States, 451 U.S. 204, 212-213, 101 S.Ct. 1642, 1648, 68 L.Ed.2d 38 (1981). Warrants must only be supported by “probable cause.” Illinois v. Rodriguez, 497 U.S. 177, 184, 110 S.Ct. 2793, 2799, 111 L.Ed.2d 148 (1990). Probable cause requires a “proper assessment of probabilities in particular factual circumstances.” Id. (citation omitted). When a search is incident to an arrest, a warrant is not needed. Id. To satisfy the “reasonableness” requirement of the Fourth Amendment, law enforcement officials need always be reasonable, but need not always be correct. Id., 497 U.S. at 185-86, 110 S.Ct. at 2800.

The Supreme Court has explained the constitutional protection against war-rantless searches:

The Fourth Amendment generally prohibits the warrantless entry of a person’s home, whether to make an arrest or to search for specific objects. ... The prohibition does not apply, however, to situations in which voluntary consent has been obtained, either from the individual whose property is searched, ..., or from a third party who possesses common authority over the premises,....

See Illinois v.

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United States v. Campbell
12 F.3d 208 (Fifth Circuit, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
805 F. Supp. 1379, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17561, 1992 WL 332311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-campbell-txwd-1992.