United States v. Square

790 F. Supp. 2d 626, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51938, 2011 WL 1871231
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedMay 16, 2011
DocketCase 1:10CR00492
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 790 F. Supp. 2d 626 (United States v. Square) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Square, 790 F. Supp. 2d 626, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51938, 2011 WL 1871231 (N.D. Ohio 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SARA LIOI, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court upon Defendant Clifford Square’s objections and motion to reconsider 1 (Doc. 46) a portion of the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation (“R & R”) filed March 29, 2011 (Doc. 39), concerning defendant’s motion to suppress (Docs. 21, 25). The government has filed a response to Defendant’s objections and motion to reconsider. (Doc. 50.) This matter is ripe for determination.

I. Introduction

Defendant filed his motion to suppress (Docs. 21, 25), which was referred to Magistrate Judge George J. Limbert. (Doc. 23). Magistrate Judge Limbert held an evidentiary hearing (Doc. 29) on Defendant’s Motion to Suppress and issued his R & R recommending that Defendant’s *632 motion be granted in part and denied in part. (Doc. 39.)

Defendant timely filed objections to the portion of the R & R relating to statements he made during an interviewed conducted by Detective Alexander after his arrest. (Doc. 46.) The Government responded to defendant’s objections. (Doc. 50.)

Having reviewed Defendant’s objections, the Government’s response and the entire record, the Court is now prepared to rule on this matter. For the reasons set forth below, the defendant’s objections are OVERRULED, and the Court hereby ACCEPTS and ADOPTS Magistrate Judge Limbert’s R & R.

II. ANALYSIS

When a party timely objects to a magistrate judge’s report and recommendation on a motion to suppress, a district court must conduct a de novo review of those portions of the report and recommendation to which objection is made. See, United States v. Curtis, 237 F.3d 598, 603 (6th Cir.2001) (holding that a magistrate judge’s ruling on “dispositive” motions, such as those for the suppression of evidence, must be reviewed de novo by the district court); 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1) (providing that a district judge “shall make a de novo determination of those portions of the magistrate judge’s report to which objection is made”). De novo review requires at least a review of the evidence before the Magistrate Judge; the Court may not act solely on the basis of a Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation. Hill v. Duriron Co., 656 F.2d 1208, 1215 (6th Cir.1981). The Court may receive further evidence, but is not required to do so. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C); United States v. White, 295 F.Supp.2d 709, 712 (E.D.Mich.2002) (citing 12 Fed. Prac. & Proc. Civ. § 3070.2).

Defendant’s objection asserts that the portion of the R & R denying his motion to suppress statements he made during an interview with Detective Alexander after his arrest should be overruled because a video recording of that interview reveals that Detective Alexander did not advise him that he had the right to terminate questioning at any time. Defendant argues, therefore, that his Miranda waiver was not knowing and intelligent because, by failing to offer the aforementioned instruction, Detective Alexander did not ensure that he knew “that he may choose ... to discontinue talking at any time.” Colorado v. Spring, 479 U.S. 564, 574, 107 S.Ct. 851, 93 L.Ed.2d 954 (1987). Defendant further argues that his waiver was not knowing and voluntary because Detective Alexander advised him of his rights in a hasty matter. Defendant did not advance these arguments either in his motion to suppress or before Magistrate Limbert at the evidentiary hearing, despite the availability of the videotape at hearing.

While not addressed in the parties’ filings, the Court finds that Defendant has waived his arguments. In United States v. Howell, the Ninth Circuit held that a district court does not abuse its discretion in refusing to consider supplemental factual allegations that a defendant did not present to the magistrate judge despite their availability at that time, but which defendant instead introduces for the first time in an objection to the R & R. 231- F.3d 615 (9th Cir.2000) (“[A] district court has discretion, but is not required, to consider evidence presented for the first time in a party’s objection to a magistrate judge’s recommendation.”).

Although, the Sixth Circuit “has not squarely addressed whether a party may raise new arguments before a district judge that were not presented to the magistrate,” it has indicated in several cases *633 that “a party’s failure to raise an argument before the magistrate judge constitutes a waiver.” United States v. Ault, No. 1:10cr20, 2011 WL 539710, at *2 (E.D.Tenn. Feb. 4, 2011) (quoting The Glidden Co. v. Kinsella, 386 Fed.Appx. 535, 544 & n. 2 (6th Cir.2010)) (citing Murr v. United States, 200 F.3d 895, 902 n. 1 (6th Cir.2000)). See also, Heston v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec., 245 F.3d 528, 535 (6th Cir.2001) (citing Murr); United States v. Hammond, 234 F.3d 1270 (6th Cir.2000) (citing Murr); United States v. Waters, 158 F.3d 933, 936 (6th Cir.1998). Absent an indication of “any special circumstances ... that would make reconsidering this general rule appropriate,” a Court need not consider, an argument that the Defendant failed to present to the magistrate judge. Ault, 2011 WL 539710, at *2.

No such special circumstances are present in this case; therefore, Defendant has waived his arguments. Counsel for Defendant concedes that the Government made an electronic version of the videotaped statements available via email prior to the suppression hearing. However, defense counsel asserts she was unable to open and view the email attachment. Nevertheless, there is no indication that defense counsel asked the Government to provide her with a copy of the video in an alternate format, or that if such a request was made it was refused by the Government. Counsel for' the Defendant also concedes that the Government offered to play the videotape at the suppression hearing, but due to the lateness of the hour and concerns of delay, defense counsel declined the offer. (Doc. 46 at 4, n. 1.) The Court is therefore not required to consider this evidence or Defendant’s new arguments.

Even if the Court were to consider the argument that — because Detective Alexander read Mr. Square his rights in a hasty manner and did not instruct him that he could terminate the interview at any time, Mr. Square did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his Miranda rights — that argument is without merit. Moreover, rather than supporting Defendant’s argument, the videotape lends further support for Magistrate Judge Limbert’s finding that the Mr. Square knowingly and voluntarily waived- his Miranda rights.

In Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court prescribed the following four now familiar warnings:

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Bluebook (online)
790 F. Supp. 2d 626, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51938, 2011 WL 1871231, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-square-ohnd-2011.