People of Michigan v. Laricca Seminta Mathews
People of Michigan v. Laricca Seminta Mathews
Opinion
*374
*420
Defendant has been charged with open murder, MCL 750.316, discharge of a firearm in a building, MCL 750.234b, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, MCL 750.227b. Before trial, defendant filed a motion to suppress statements she made to police based on the contention that the police failed to adequately advise her of her rights as required by
Miranda v. Arizona
,
This case arises from the shooting death of defendant's boyfriend, Gabriel Dumas, who was killed in defendant's apartment on August 12, 2016. After the shooting, defendant called 911 and told the dispatcher that she had shot Dumas. Police responded to the scene, and defendant was taken into custody and transported to the Wixom Police Department. At the police station, defendant was interviewed twice. Detective Brian Stowinsky conducted the first interview. During the first interview, Stowinsky presented defendant with a written advice-of-rights form, which stated:
Before any questions are asked of you, you should know: (1) you have a right to remain silent; (2) anything *422 you say may be used against you; (3) you have a right to a lawyer, and (4) if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided free.
I understand what my rights are and am willing to talk.
Stowinsky also orally reviewed the statements on the advice-of-rights form with defendant. Specifically, the following exchange took place:
[Detective Stowinsky]: Ok, um, I'm going to review these, ok?
[Defendant]: Uh hmm.
[Detective Stowinsky]: I'm going to read these to you.
[Defendant]: Uh hmm.
*375 [Detective Stowinsky]: Um, before I question, start asking you, you should know that you have a right to remain silent.
[Defendant]: Uh hmm.
[Detective Stowinsky]: Anything you say maybe [sic] used against you. You have a right to a lawyer, if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for free. Do you understand your rights?
[Defendant]: Yes.
Defendant agreed to talk with Stowinsky, and she signed the advice-of-rights form. During the questioning that followed, defendant told Stowinsky that she quarreled with Dumas, that Dumas attacked her, and that she shot him.
Later the same day, defendant was interviewed a second time by Sergeant Michael DesRosiers. At the beginning of that second interview, the following exchange took place between defendant and DesRosiers:
[Sergeant DesRosiers]: Alright, so um, Detective Stowinsky, remember he talked about your rights and everything?
[Defendant]: Uh hmm.
*423 [Sergeant DesRosiers]: Same thing applies. Um, you don't, you don't have to even talk to me if you don't want to. You can get an attorney um, if you can't afford one, we'll make sure you get one.
[Defendant]: Ok.
[Sergeant DesRosiers]: So, um, we're just continuing the interview that you started with him.
DesRosiers then proceeded to question defendant about inconsistencies between her previous statements and the physical evidence, including the location of Dumas's fatal bullet wound. Defendant again admitted shooting Dumas, and she attempted to explain the location of the bullet wound by suggesting that the bullet may have ricocheted. She also suggested that the shooting may have been an accident insofar as her finger may have "slipped" while on the trigger because it was "so hot and muggy."
Following a preliminary examination, defendant was bound over for trial in the circuit court. In the circuit court, defendant moved to suppress her statements to the police, asserting that the Miranda warnings given before her interviews were inadequate because (1) the police failed to advise her that she could terminate the interrogation at any point and (2) the police did not inform her that she had the right to consult with an attorney before the interview and to have an attorney present during the interrogation. The trial court did not address whether the police were required to inform defendant that she had an ongoing right to cut off questioning at any point. Nevertheless, the trial court granted defendant's motion to suppress, reasoning that the Miranda warnings were defective because the police failed to inform defendant that she had the right to have an attorney present before and during the interrogation. The prosecution filed an interlocutory application for leave to appeal, and the *424 case is now before us on remand from the Michigan Supreme Court for consideration as on leave granted.
On appeal, the prosecution argues that the warnings given to defendant complied with Miranda and that the trial court erred by suppressing defendant's statements to police. First, with regard to a suspect's right to cut off questioning, the prosecution asserts that Miranda does not require police to give an explicit warning that a suspect may terminate the interrogation at any time. Second, in terms of a suspect's right to the presence of counsel, the prosecution argues that, although the warnings given to defendant did not expressly advise her of her right to the presence *376 of counsel during the interrogation, the warnings given before defendant's interrogations were sufficient because they advised defendant that she had the right to a lawyer. According to the prosecution, Miranda does not require the police to provide a suspect with more specific information regarding the right to the presence of an attorney before and during questioning.
When reviewing a decision on a motion to suppress, we review a trial court's factual findings for clear error.
People v. Tanner
,
"Both the state and federal constitutions guarantee that no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself or herself."
People v. Cortez (On Remand)
,
*425
(opinion by METER , J.). To protect this constitutional guarantee against compelled self-incrimination, before any custodial interrogation, the police must give a suspect the now-familiar
Miranda
warnings.
People v. Daoud
,
"[A suspect] must be warned prior to any questioning [1] that he has the right to remain silent, [2] that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, [3] that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and [4] that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires." [ Florida v. Powell ,559 U.S. 50 , 59-60,130 S.Ct. 1195 ,175 L.Ed. 2d 1009 (2010), quoting Miranda ,384 U.S. at 479 ,86 S.Ct. 1602 (alterations by the Powell Court).]
"The four warnings
Miranda
requires are invariable, but [the United States Supreme Court] has not dictated the words in which the essential information must be conveyed."
Powell
,
I. RIGHT TO CUT OFF QUESTIONING
In the trial court, defendant challenged the adequacy of the Miranda warnings *377 on two grounds. First, defendant argued that the right to cut off questioning is a "critical safeguard" under Miranda and that the police were thus required to warn defendant that she could cease answering questions at any point. Although the police informed defendant of her right to remain silent, she asserts that her statement must be suppressed because she was not more specifically informed that she could terminate the interrogation at any time. This argument is without merit.
As noted,
Miranda
requires the police to provide a suspect with four-and only four-essential warnings: "[1] that he has the right to remain silent, [2] that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, [3] that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and [4] that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires."
Powell
,
Once warnings have been given, the subsequent procedure is clear . If the individual indicates in any manner, at any time prior to or during questioning, that he wishes to remain silent, the interrogation must cease. At this point he has shown that he intends to exercise his Fifth Amendment privilege; any statement taken after the person invokes his privilege cannot be other than the product of compulsion, subtle or otherwise. Without the right to cut off questioning, the setting of in-custody interrogation operates on the individual to overcome free choice in producing a statement after the privilege has been once invoked. [ Miranda ,384 U.S. at 473-474 ,86 S.Ct. 1602 (emphasis added).]
However, contrary to defendant's arguments, this "subsequent procedure" to cut off questioning as described
*428
in
Miranda
does not establish a "special warning requirement" regarding the right to terminate an interrogation.
*378
People v. Tubbs
,
II. RIGHT TO THE PRESENCE OF AN ATTORNEY
In the lower court, defendant argued, and the trial court agreed, that a general warning regarding the "right to a lawyer" did not adequately inform defendant of her right to have an attorney present before and during the interrogation. Although there is conflicting authority on this issue, we agree with the trial court and we hold that a general warning regarding a "right to a lawyer" does not comply with the dictates of Miranda . Consequently, we affirm the trial court's suppression of defendant's statements.
We begin our analysis by again noting what is required by Miranda . As explained by the United States Supreme Court:
"[A suspect] must be warned prior to any questioning [1] that he has the right to remain silent, [2] that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, [3] that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and [4] that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires." [ Powell ,559 U.S. at 59-60 ,130 S.Ct. 1195 , quoting Miranda ,384 U.S. at 479 ,86 S.Ct. 1602 (alterations by the Powell Court).]
It is the third warning-the "right to the presence of an attorney"-that is at issue in this case. Under
Miranda
, in the context of custodial interrogation, the right to the presence of counsel was recognized as "indispensable to the protection of the
*379
Fifth Amendment
*430
privilege ...."
Miranda
,
Recognizing that
Miranda
mandates advice regarding the right to the presence of counsel, while also acknowledging that a talismanic incantation of the
Miranda
warnings is not required,
Prysock
,
"You have the right to talk to a lawyer before answering any of our questions. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be appointed for you without cost and before any questioning. You have the right to use any of these rights at any time you want during this interview."
*380 [ Powell ,559 U.S. at 54 ,130 S.Ct. 1195 .]
The purported deficiency in the warnings in
Powell
was that informing the suspect that he had a right to talk to a lawyer
before
answering questions would
*432
mislead a suspect by suggesting that the right to consult an attorney did not also exist
during
the interrogation.
Although there is no binding authority, the issue whether a general warning of the "right to an attorney" satisfies
Miranda
's strictures has been considered by numerous courts, including this Court. In several decisions from this Court issued soon after
Miranda
was decided, this Court concluded that general warnings, such as informing a suspect that he was "entitled to an attorney," did not comply with
Miranda
because such warnings did not sufficiently convey a suspect's right to the presence of an attorney during questioning.
People v. Whisenant
,
Courts requiring an explicit warning regarding the right to the presence of counsel during the interrogation-as opposed to simply the right to an attorney-have "stressed the importance of informing defendants that they have the right to the actual
physical presence
of an attorney,"
United States v. Noti
,
While there is authority recognizing the necessity of an explicit warning regarding the presence of counsel during the interrogation, courts are by no means uniform in reaching this conclusion. See
Bridgers
,
Considering the conflicting persuasive authority, we conclude that the essential information required by
Miranda
includes a temporally related warning regarding the right to consult an attorney and to have an attorney present during the interrogation, not merely general information regarding the "right to an attorney." Consequently, we reaffirm our decision in
Whisenant
,
In this regard, as noted,
Miranda
was focused on the right to counsel as a corollary to the right against compelled self-incrimination, i.e., the right to counsel that exists during custodial interrogation to "protect an accused's Fifth Amendment privilege in the face of interrogation."
Miranda
,
Rather than assume people are capable of inferring their constitutional rights,
Miranda
provides specific, clear-cut warnings that must be given regardless of "age, education, intelligence, or prior contact with authorities ...."
10
Miranda
,
In this case, neither Stowinsky nor DesRosiers explained to defendant that she had the right to the presence of counsel. Although defendant was generally advised that she had a right to an attorney, this broad warning failed to reasonably convey to defendant that she could consult an attorney before she was questioned and during her interrogation. Because defendant was not adequately advised of her right to the presence of counsel, her subsequent statements are inadmissible at trial.
Miranda
,
Affirmed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
K. F. KELLY, J., concurred with HOEKSTRA, J.
O'Connell, P.J. (concurring in part and dissenting in part).
At 11:33 a.m., on August 12, 2016, defendant called the Wixom Police Department and informed the police that she had shot her boyfriend, Gabriel Dumas. The police were immediately dispatched to defendant's home. Defendant was arrested and transported to the Wixom Police Department.
*442 At the police station, defendant was interviewed by Detective Brian Stowinsky and Sergeant Michael DeRosiers. Detective Stowinsky first told defendant that he was going to question her about happened. Before he began questioning defendant, he gave her the following warnings:
[B]efore I question, start asking you, you should know that you have a right to remain silent.
* * *
Anything you say may be used against you. You have a right to a lawyer[.] [I]f you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for free. Do you understand your rights?
Defendant answered, "[y]es." Importantly, in addition to the oral Miranda 1 rights, defendant signed a written advice of rights, which read:
Before any questions are asked of you, you should know: (1) you have a right to remain silent; (2) anything you say may be used against you; (3) you have a right to a lawyer, and (4) if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided free.
I understand what my rights are and am willing to talk.
Defendant's interview lasted approximately 61 minutes.
At the beginning of defendant's second interview later that day, Sergeant DeRosiers said to defendant:
Detective Stowinsky, remember he talked about your rights and everything?
* * *
Same thing applies. ... [Y]ou don't have to even talk to me if you don't want to. You can get an attorney .... [I]f you can't afford one, we'll make sure you get one.
*443 Defendant indicated that she understood and answered Sergeant DeRosiers's questions.
*386 It is clear from these warnings that defendant's right to a lawyer related to the forthcoming questioning by both Detective Stowinsky and Sergeant DeRosiers. The lower court record is devoid of any coercion, compulsion, or wrongful conduct by the police. Also, there is no indication that defendant did not or was not capable of understanding that she was entitled to have a free attorney before, during, or after questioning.
Moreover, the ordinary layperson understands that the right to an attorney before questioning extends to the duration of questioning. There is no meaningful difference between a right to a lawyer before questioning and during questioning. In addition, by the time Sergeant DeRosiers interviewed her, defendant had already been interviewed once. Sergeant DeRosiers's reminder about defendant's rights reinforced her right to an attorney even though she had already been questioned by Detective Stowinsky. For these reasons, I concur with those cases cited in the majority opinion holding that a generalized warning that the suspect has the right to counsel, without specifying when, satisfies the Miranda requirements. 2
I conclude that defendant was adequately informed of her Miranda rights. I would reverse the decision of the trial court and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
I concur with the balance of the majority opinion.
People v. Mathews , unpublished order of the Court of Appeals, entered August 23, 2017 (Docket No. 339079).
"Lower federal court decisions are not binding on this Court, but may be considered on the basis of their persuasive analysis."
People v. Fomby
,
It is apparently not uncommon for law enforcement officials to include some type of "fifth prong" or "catch-all" provision in the recitation of
Miranda
warnings, advising suspects that their rights may be asserted at any point during the interrogation. See Rogers et al.,
The Language of Miranda Warnings in American Jurisdictions: A Replication and Vocabulary Analysis
,
Although published decisions of this Court issued before November 1, 1990, are not precedentially binding, MCR 7.215(J)(1), they may be considered as persuasive authority.
People v. Barbarich
,
The dissent emphasizes that the warnings given to defendant in this case were prefaced with the word "before," and the dissent concludes that this was sufficient to convey to defendant her right to an attorney before questioning as well as during questioning. This reliance on the word "before" is unpersuasive for two reasons. First, the word "before" is not used in the warnings as an indication of
when
defendant's right to counsel exists. That is, she was not told that she had a right to an attorney before questioning; rather, she was told that before any questions were asked, she should know that she has a right to an attorney. Second, even if the use of "before" is read to have informed defendant of her right to counsel
before
questioning, contrary to the dissent's conclusion, there is a meaningful difference between the right to consult a lawyer before questioning and the right to have a lawyer present during questioning. Indeed, the warning in
Powell
was found adequate because it conveyed the right to counsel, "not only at the outset of interrogation, but at all times" during the interrogation.
Powell
,
Numerous decisions from the Michigan Supreme Court have similarly quoted formulations of the
Miranda
warnings that convey the right to the "presence of an attorney" or more specifically the right to "the presence of an attorney during any questioning." See, e.g.,
Tanner
,
In support of the conclusion that general warnings are sufficient, some of these cases also note that
Miranda
discussed, with apparent approval, the warnings given by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the time
Miranda
was decided. See, e.g.,
Warren
,
In comparison to the right to counsel during custodial interrogation incident to the Fifth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment right to counsel attaches at, or after, the initiation of adversary judicial proceedings and extends to all critical stages of the proceedings. See
People v. Buie (On Remand)
,
See also
Carlson
,
"The Fifth Amendment privilege is so fundamental to our system of constitutional rule and the expedient of giving an adequate warning as to the availability of the privilege so simple, we will not pause to inquire in individual cases whether the defendant was aware of his rights without a warning being given."
Miranda
,
Miranda v. Arizona
,
Only lawyers are capable of dissecting words and phrases so finely as to confuse the meaning of the Miranda warnings. The ordinary layperson clearly understands the right to have an attorney before, during, and after questioning. When the police warn a suspect before the start of questioning that the suspect has the right to counsel, for what other purpose than questioning-the entire duration of questioning-would a suspect be entitled to a lawyer?
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PEOPLE of the State of Michigan, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Laricca Seminta MATHEWS, Defendant-Appellee.
- Cited By
- 15 cases
- Status
- Published