United States v. Fluckes

297 F. Supp. 3d 778
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedMarch 9, 2018
DocketCASE NO. 13–20116; CIVIL NO. 16–12763
StatusPublished

This text of 297 F. Supp. 3d 778 (United States v. Fluckes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Fluckes, 297 F. Supp. 3d 778 (E.D. Mich. 2018).

Opinion

PAUL D. BORMAN, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

*780This Court finds that Defendant Daniel J. Fluckes was denied effective assistance of counsel because of his counsels' failure to file a motion to suppress his post-polygraph statement because it was made after 5 ½ hours of coercive interrogation, and also, because he did not receive his Miranda warnings prior to that extended non-Mirandized post-polygraph interrogation. This Court, also finds that defense counsels' failure to file a pre-plea motion to suppress, which has now been granted after a 28 U.S.C. § 2255 evidentiary hearing, resulted in a five-level Sentencing Guideline enhancement pursuant to United States Sentencing Guideline § 2G2.2(b)(5), that prejudiced Petitioner at his sentencing, establishing ineffective assistance of counsel. Specifically, Defendant was prejudiced at his sentencing because the five level Sentencing Guideline enhancement contained in the presentence report raised his Guideline range significantly, from 151-188 months to 262-327 months. On June 30, 2015 Defendant Daniel Jamar Fluckes was sentenced to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons for 80 months.

In sentencing Defendant Daniel Fluckes the Court recognized that he pled guilty to a very serious crime-downloading and disseminating images of child pornography. The Court recognizes the significant negative impact of this criminal activity on child victims whose images continue to be disseminated time and again. The Court sentenced Defendant Daniel Fluckes to a period of incarceration well above the five year statutory mandatory minimum applicable to the offense of conviction.

The issue now before the Court is whether (1) Defendant was deprived of this Constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel, (2) whether that deprivation prejudiced his sentencing, and (3) if so, the necessary remedy.

BACKGROUND

Defendant Daniel Fluckes, a 19 year old intellectually "challenged" individual was arrested at his residence, his parents home, on a complaint charging him with viewing and disseminating child pornography on a computer. Subsequently, at his *781first attorney's suggestion, that he agreed with, he came with his mother to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office in the McNamara Federal Building to undergo a polygraph examination about whether he had previously touched a minor under 18 in a genital area. Upon arrival at 1pm, Defendant Fluckes and his mother Angela Fluckes were met by Homeland Security Case Agent Devallons Desmarets, who escorted Defendant into the polygraph room, and told his mother to go have lunch, and we'll be done when you get back. After interviewing Defendant, Homeland Security Agent Thad Baxter administered the polygraph exam from 2:18pm to 2:45pm, and concluded that Defendant Fluckes was being "deceptive" in his answers to questions regarding touching genitalia of a minor. Baxter confirmed his conclusion with another Homeland Security Agent, Luther Frye. Baxter informed Defendant of his conclusion.

After the polygraph examination had concluded, both Polygrapher Agent Baxter and HHS Special Agent Devallons Desmarets continued the detention of Defendant Fluckes in that small 8'x8' windowless room and interrogated him for 5 ½ more hours, until 8:15pm. Defendant was not provided post-polygraph Miranda warnings prior to this post-examination questioning. Polygraph Agent Baxter interrogated Defendant for the first 4 ½ hours with Case Agent Desmarets watching through a one-way mirror in a separate room. Defendant Fluckes did not admit to touching a minor during that 4 ½ hours of questioning by Baxter. At that point Case Agent Desmarets reentered the room; Baxter remained in the room. Desmarets then conducted the fifth hour of interrogation, and finally secured the inculpatory statement at issue at 8:15pm.

Defendant stated that he had previously touched the genitals of a friend's minor brother. August 2, 2017, Evidentiary Hearing Tr. Page ID 738. Hereinafter Evid. Hrg. Tr. Significantly, the minor "victim" of the touching, was subjected to an extended "Kids-Talk" video interview by a government-hired child psychologist, at which he continuously denied any such touching by the Defendant. The Defendant's statement was provided by the Government to the Probation Officer, and utilized in the Presentence Report to support the application of a five-level sentencing guideline enhancement pursuant to § 2G2.2(b)(5) that resulted in a significantly higher sentencing guideline range.

During that 5 ½ hour period, Defendant Fluckes was not provided food, a break, or an opportunity to speak with his mother, who having returned to the lobby after lunch and waiting in the lobby for hours, had knocked on the door around 5pm and tried to speak with her son, but was prevented from doing so by Agent Desmarets.

The case is now before the Court pursuant to Defendant's petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 asserting a violation of his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of Counsel. Defendant is not challenging his Rule 11 Plea agreement, which the Court accepted. The Rule 11 contained a provision, 2B, whereby Defendant was permitted to seek a Guideline Sentencing range of 151-188 months, in opposition to the Government's recommendation of 262-327 months which was adopted in the Presentence Report. The Rule 11 contained an appeal waiver by Defendant on all grounds except a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Defendant was informed by the Court of this right at the continuation of his sentencing hearing. Transcript of Continuation of Sentencing Hearing, January 16, 2015, pp. 11-12.

The Court concludes, after holding an evidentiary hearing on August 2, 2017 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255, that there was a violation of Defendant's right under the *782Sixth Amendment to effective assistance of counsel, because his counsel failed to file a pre-plea motion to suppress his coerced and non-Mirandized statement after the polygraph examination. The Court finds that this statement was coerced in violation of Defendant's Fifth Amendment right to due process, and also secured without the agents' informing Defendant, post-examination of his Miranda rights prior to that post-polygraph examination questioning.

While this Opinion and Order is based on the specific finding of a violation of Defendant Fluckes Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel for his defense, it is necessary to discuss the issue of the coerced and non-Mirandized statement that created the basis for the Sixth Amendment violation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
297 F. Supp. 3d 778, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-fluckes-mied-2018.