Vergara v. State

657 S.E.2d 863, 283 Ga. 175, 2008 Fulton County D. Rep. 575, 2008 Ga. LEXIS 202
Supreme Court of Georgia·Decided February 25, 2008·No. S07A1234·Published·Cited by 124 cases

Opinion

CARLEY, Justice.

Ignacio Vergara and his co-defendant, Brigido Soto, were indicted for the murders of Alejandro Santana and Francesco Saucedo *176 and for related crimes, which occurred on March 13, 2002. The State gave notice of its intent to seek the death penalty. This Court granted interim review to determine whether the trial court erred in failing to suppress Vergara’s March 28, 2002 custodial statement and all evidence obtained as a result thereof. Vergara has also addressed whether the trial court erred in failing to suppress statements he made to police on March 26, 2002 and in the early morning of the following day, and the evidence seized as a result of those statements.

In responding to a 911 call on March 13, 2002, police discovered the bodies of the two male victims, shot multiple times, in a parked vehicle on a road in Hall County. On March 26,2002, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Agent Blackwell and Investigators Evans and Spindola went to Vergara’s residence in connection with their investigation of the victims’ deaths. After Spindola told Vergara that his home telephone number had been found in the cellular telephone of one of the victims, Vergara accompanied the officers to the Law Enforcement Center (LEC), where he was interviewed after receiving in Spanish his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436 (86 SC 1602, 16 LE2d 694) (1966), and signing a waiver form. During the videotaped interview, in which all three officers participated with Spindola acting as translator, Vergara acknowledged being present at the murders, implicated Soto as the perpetrator, and handed the officers a notebook containing Soto’s telephone number.

Following this interview, while riding with Blackwell, Spindola, and Lead Investigator Couch, Vergara retraced his and Soto’s movements on the day of the murders, visited the scene where the murders occurred, and aided the officers in retrieving the cellular telephone belonging to one of the victims. After returning to the LEC, Vergara made a telephone call to Soto, which the officers audiotaped. Vergara then accompanied the officers on another ride, and, after he pointed out Soto’s apartment, the police took him to a nearby church to wait in the parking lot while Couch obtained a warrant for Soto’s arrest. At approximately 12:45 a.m. on March 27, after Soto’s arrest and interview, Vergara was again given the Miranda warnings and interviewed. During this interview, he disclosed the location of the handgun allegedly used to commit the murders, and he accompanied the officers as they retrieved it. At 1:55 a.m., after reminding Vergara of his Miranda rights, the police resumed the interview. Couch obtained a warrant for Vergara’s arrest at 3:40 that morning. Vergara was re-interviewed on March 28, 2002.

The trial court determines the admissibility of a defendant’s statement under the preponderance of the evidence standard considering the totality of the circumstances. Fowler v. State, 246 Ga. 256, 258 (3) (271 SE2d 168) (1980).

*177 The issue presents a mixed question of fact and law. [Cit.] On appeal, we accept the trial court’s findings on disputed facts and credibility of witnesses unless clearly erroneous, but independently apply the legal principles to the facts. [Cit.]

Linares v. State, 266 Ga. 812, 813 (2) (471 SE2d 208) (1996).

1. Vergara contends that his March 26 interview and his subsequent statements to police throughout that afternoon and evening and in the early morning of March 27 were involuntary and, therefore, inadmissible under OCGA § 24-3-50, and that the evidence discovered as a result of those statements should also be suppressed. OCGA § 24-3-50 states that, “[t]o make a confession admissible, it must have been made voluntarily, without being induced by another by the slightest hope of benefit or remotest fear of injury.”

At the outset, we reject the State’s argument that OCGA § 24-3-50 does not apply to Vergara’s statements to law enforcement because they constitute incriminating statements rather than a confession. See Clarke v. State, 165 Ga. 326, 331 (6) (140 SE 889) (1927) (distinguishing between incriminating statements and confessions). It has long been the law in this State that the rule as to the admissibility of an incriminatory statement is the same as that applied to a confession. Turner v. State, 203 Ga. 770, 771 (3) (48 SE2d 522) (1948). See also Fuller v. State, 109 Ga. 809, 811-812 (1) (35 SE 298) (1900); Fletcher v. State, 90 Ga. 468, 469 (1) (17 SE 100) (1892). To the extent that Carruthers v. State, 272 Ga. 306, 313 (5) (528 SE2d 217) (2000); Hill v. State, 279 Ga. App. 402, 405 (3) (a), fn. 4 (631 SE2d 446) (2006); Pasuer v. State, 271 Ga. App. 259, 261 (1) (609 SE2d 193) (2005); and Jewett v. State, 264 Ga. App. 571, 572 (1) (591 SE2d 459) (2003) hold otherwise, they are overruled.

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Vergara v. State, 657 S.E.2d 863, 283 Ga. 175, 2008 Fulton County D. Rep. 575, 2008 Ga. LEXIS 202 (Ga. 2008).

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