United States v. Costa

214 F. Supp. 3d 935, 2016 WL 5940310, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141211
CourtDistrict Court, D. Montana
DecidedOctober 12, 2016
DocketCR 16-03-BLG-SPW
StatusPublished

This text of 214 F. Supp. 3d 935 (United States v. Costa) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Montana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Costa, 214 F. Supp. 3d 935, 2016 WL 5940310, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141211 (D. Mont. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION and ORDER

SUSAN P. WATTERS, United States District Judge

Defendant Garrett Jay Costa, Sr. has moved to suppress statements made to law enforcement on July 9, 2015, and evidence gained thereafter. (Doc. 46). On October 6, 2016, this Court held a hearing on the motion. At the hearing, the Court heard testimony from F.B.I. Special Agent Brandon Walter. For reasons more fully discussed below, the Motion to Suppress is DENIED.

[937]*937I. Background

On July 9, 2015, a victim reported a rape to Officer Carolyn Morrison at the Crow Hospital. (Doc. 46-1). Officer Morrison learned that the victim had picked up an unknown suspect on Highway 451 in order to drive him to town. (Id.). The victim reported that she was raped in her white Suburban near the cemetery and veteran’s complex. The victim identified the suspect as a Native American male, long hair past the shoulder, wearing blue Nike shoes, black wind type pants, dark colored shirt and a beanie type hat. (Id.).

FBI Agent Brandon Walter received notification of the alleged rape at approximately 5:00 a.m., on July 9, 2015. He testified that as he drove from Billings, Montana, to Crow Agency, Montana, he received a description of the alleged^ assailant, which included stringy hair and blue Nikes. Because the victim had stated she picked up a hitchhiker, he did not believe she knew the assailant’s identity.

Agent Walter testified that he went directly to the victim’s house to collect evidence from her vehicle. There, he was told by law enforcement that a family member had reported seeing Costa, the victim’s brother in law, sitting with the victim in her white Suburban earlier that morning. Agent Walter testified that, at that point, he had no leads on a suspect, and he considered Costa a potential witness. He and Bureau of Indian Affairs Agent Sharon Brown drove to Costa’s mother’s house to speak with Costa. Both agents walked to the door and knocked. Costa’s mother answered the door and told the agents that Costa was sleeping. Agent Walter asked Costa’s mother if she would wake Costa so they could speak with him.

When Costa came to the door, Agent Walter testified that he told Costa his his name had come up in an investigation and they needed to speak with him to determine if he knew anything about the matter. Agent Walter testified that Costa agreed to speak with them and followed them to Walter’s car. Costa got in the passenger side of the car, Walter got in the driver’s seat, and Agent Brown got in the back seat behind Costa.

Agent Walter advised Costa that they were conducting an investigation and began asking Costa questions. (Doc. 52 at 1). After some preliminary questions like name and address, Agent Walters told Costa they were looking into something that happened “last night.” (Id. at 2). Agent Walter told Costa he smelled alcohol on him and Costa confirmed that he had been drinking the night before. (Id. at 3). When Costa asked what was going on, Agent Walter told him that Costa’s name came up, “not in a bad way,” but that somebody had seen him and they did not know who was involved at that point. (Id.) After providing details about where he went and who he was with the night prior, Costa again asked, ‘What the hell is going on?” and why had his name come up. Agent Walters replied that they did not know, and they were trying to figure it out. (Id. at 9).

Costa continued to answer questions about how much alcohol he consumed and where and with whom he consumed it. (Id. at 11-16). Costa again asked what was going on. (Id. at 16). This time Agent Walter told Costa that he “didn’t know what was going on” but that someone had been assaulted and Costa’s name “came up in that.” (Id.). Costa continued talking to Agent Walter about his activities the night before. (Id.) Agent Walter asked Costa what he had been wearing the night before and Costa said he was wearing the same clothes and shoes from the night before. (Id. at 27). Costa said he had slept in his clothes and they were the same clothes from the night before. (Id. at 27). He also said he was wearing the same blue Nike [938]*938shoes he wore the night before. (Id.). At that point, approximately 33 minutes into the interview, Agent Walter advised Costa of his rights and Mirandized him. (Id. at 28). Costa acknowledged his rights, that he understood them and agreed to answer questions without a lawyer present. (Id. at 29).

After Costa waived his rights, Agent Walter told Costa that an assault had happened the night before and they had heard his name but nobody had mentioned him as a suspect. (Id. at 30). Agent Walter eventually told Costa that his sister-in-law had been assaulted and someone had seen Costa in the car with her. (Id. at 32). After going over details of Costa’s recollection of the previous night, Agent Walter told Cos-ta he believed Costa was lying. (Id. at 39). He told Costa his shoes matched shoes found at the rape site. Costa denied being up at the site and denied any sexual activity with the victim. (Id. at 31-35, 40). Agent Walter testified that at this point he got out of the car and called FBI Agent Michele Stewart who was at the hospital with the victim. He asked Michele to confirm with the victim that Costa was the subject, which the victim did.

Agent Walter returned to his car and requested Costa’s consent to take a DNA sample from him and a search of his yard for empty alcohol bottles. (Id. at 50-52). Costa consented. The interview lasted approximately one hour and twenty-six minutes. (Id. at 1, 61).

II. Costa’s Motion to Suppress

Costa moves to suppress the statements he made to law enforcement while he was in Agent Walter’s car. He also moves to suppress the evidence gathered. In support of his motion, Costa makes three arguments: (1) Miranda warnings were required at the beginning of the interview; (2)Costa’s waiver was involuntary because his will was overborne by the agents; and (3)Costa was under the influence of alcohol so he could not voluntarily waive his rights. The Court will address each argument separately.

1. Costa was not in custody for the first 33 minutes of the interview so Miranda warnings were not required.

Costa argues that he was subject to a custodial interrogation when Agents Walter and Brown questioned him in the car. The United States argues that Costa was not in custody for the 33 minutes before Agent Walter advised him of his Miranda rights, so no warning was necessary.

The prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or incul-patory, stemming from a custodial interrogation of the defendant unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). For Miranda to apply, a person must have been both in custody and subjected to interrogation. United States v. Washington, 462 F.3d 1124, 1132 (9th Cir. 2006).

“Custody” is a term of art that specifies circumstances considered to present a serious danger of coercion. Howes v. Fields, 565 U.S. 499, 132 S.Ct.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
214 F. Supp. 3d 935, 2016 WL 5940310, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-costa-mtd-2016.