United States v. Red Bird

146 F. Supp. 2d 993, 2001 DSD 15, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9899, 2001 WL 760569
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedJuly 5, 2001
DocketCR 01-30047
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 146 F. Supp. 2d 993 (United States v. Red Bird) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Red Bird, 146 F. Supp. 2d 993, 2001 DSD 15, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9899, 2001 WL 760569 (D.S.D. 2001).

Opinion

ORDER

KORNMANN, District Judge.

[¶ 1] The defendant, Andrew Red Bird (“Red Bird”), filed a motion (Doc. 18) to suppress statements allegedly made jointly by Red Bird to an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a criminal investigator for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe; the motion raises a Sixth Amendment issue and a voluntariness issue. The same *995 motion seeks to suppress six buccal swabs and DNA evidence derived therefrom on a claim of “fruits of the poisonous tree.” U.S. Magistrate Judge Moreno, after conducting an evidentiary hearing, filed and served a report and recommendation (Doc. 32) for disposition of Red Bird’s motion. The Court has conducted a de novo review of the transcript of the evidentiary hearing (Doc. 28), the statements made by Judge Moreno and counsel for both parties in open court (Doc. 28), and all the files and records herein, including all the briefs and responses filed. Red Bird filed and served objections (Doc. 38) to the recommendations of the magistrate and the objections have been considered. The government filed and served objections (Doc. 52) to the magistrate’s report and recommendations and such objections have also been considered. Defendant served and filed a response (Doc. 54) to the government’s objections. The government, knowing this case had been set for trial with jury selection to begin on June 26, 2001, knowing that the Court was scheduled for various appearances at the annual meeting of the State Bar of South Dakota commencing on June 20, waited until the afternoon of June 20 (which it clearly had the legal right to do) to file objections to the report and recommendation issued by the magistrate on June 8. Red Bird had filed his objections on June 12. The government also filed on June 20 a motion for a continuance of the trial date (Doc. 53) and the defendant and his attorney have given notice of their objections to any such continuance. The defendant has been in custody awaiting trial. The Court had no choice but to grant the government’s motion for a continuance.

[¶ 2] Red Bird was charged by way of written complaint on September 11, 2000, and was arrested on a tribal charge of rape. He appeared in tribal court for his arraignment, was represented by an attorney from the tribal public defenders’ office, was formally advised of his rights, entered a plea of not guilty, and was released on bond. That attorney has continued to represent Red Bird in tribal court at all times material. '

[¶ 3] F.B.I. Agent D. Joseph Weir (“Weir”) and tribal investigator Grace Her Many Horses (“Her Many Horses”) on November 28, 2000, sought out and approached Red Bird to question him about the alleged rape. It is undisputed that both the federal government and the tribe, two sovereigns, were cooperating in the investigation and charging of the defendant. The two sovereigns “worked in tandem” in connection with these charges. Red Bird told the agents that his lawyer had told him not to make a statement. He also told the agents that he had “nothing to hide.” He also told them he would “make one statement and one statement only” and that Weir “would not get any more out of him.” Despite this, the F.B.I. recitation in the F.B.I. form 302 as to the statements allegedly made by Red Bird covers seven pages. Although not in custody, Red Bird was given the Miranda warnings and signed a form to waive such rights. Her Many Horses knew that Red Bird was at that time represented by counsel and that he had appeared in tribal court on the same charge, forcible rape by penetration. Weir equivocated on the matter of his knowledge of the pending tribal charge and the fact that Red Bird was represented by counsel, He testified that he did not believe he had such knowledge but that he “didn’t recall for certain.” Despite this testimony, Weir had earlier reported in his 302 that Red Bird told him about instructions given to Red Bird by Red Bird’s attorney. The magistrate was in error in finding that agent Weir “does not believe that he was apprised of’ the defendant’s tribal charge and the fact that the defendant had tribal counsel representing him; the objection of the defendant in that re *996 gard should be sustained. It flies in the face of all-common sense to believe that Her Many Horses and Weir were acting in concert' looking for Red Bird to interview and that the two of them had not discussed the facts before interviéwing Red Bird. They were traveling in the same vehicle to locate and approach Red Bird and then to follow him in one vehicle to conduct the interview at his home. It also makes no sense since both Weir and Her Many Horses had engaged previously in the same conduct that occurred, here which conduct had been severely criticized by this court in United States v. Swift Hawk, 125 F.Supp.2d 384 (D.S.D.2000). The conduct of Weir and Her Many Horses in that earlier case had been described as “very troubling” and in violation of the Sixth Amendment rights of Swift Hawk. Both Weir and Her Many Horses would or should have had knowledge of such published opinion. I do not believe that agent Weir did not know the facts as to Réd Bird. I believe he did know them and I reject his equivocal testimony. Regardless, the knowledge of Her Many Horses, acting in tandem and in concert with Weir, would be attributable to Weir.

[¶ 4] Weir and Her Many Horses, after excluding Red Bird’s wife and their children, despite the wife’s request to be present, took a statement from Red Bird without his attorney being present or even advised. This conduct is very troubling, as I observed in Swift Hawk. As I did in Swift Hawk, this Court takes judicial notice that, in civil cases, investigators and especially attorneys do not question a person they know to be represented by counsel without the attorney’s consent and knowledge. Having practiced law for thirty years, primarily as a trial attorney representing a large number of insureds of insurance companies as well as plaintiffs, I know that all reputable insurance companies and adjusters in the United States have adopted this policy and have reduced it to writing. This is common knowledge among practicing attorneys and judges. It would be highly unethical for any attorney to talk to or even attempt to talk with another party whom the attorney knows is represented by counsel. It is simply not “fair play” to “go around”' the attorney, even when the represented party agrees to talk without the presence of his attorney. Having said all this, I recognize that no Sixth Amendment right of the defendant can be based upon standards of the American Bar Association, including ABA Ann. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 4.2 (4th ed.1999), as explained by Chief Justice Rehnquist in Texas v. Cobb, — U.S. --, -, 121 S.Ct. 1335, 1342 (footnote 2), 149 L.Ed.2d 321 (2001).

[¶ 5] Red Bird, unlike Swift Hawk, was told that he had the right to have an attorney present when he was being questioned. No permission to interview Red Bird was sought or received from the attorney known by Weir and Her Many Horses to be representing Red Bird. They knew or should have known the actual name and address of the attorney since the same attorney appears on a daily basis to represent each defendant in Rosebud Tribal Court. In this part of the world, everyone knows the business of others and there are few secrets. This is certainly true on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
146 F. Supp. 2d 993, 2001 DSD 15, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9899, 2001 WL 760569, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-red-bird-sdd-2001.